The Girl, The Gold Ring and Everything
by Thomas Mc
Summary: Byron must overcome his debilitating fear of large cats (particularly lions) if he wants to make any kind of life with Jennifer. Part 3 of 'The Girl' trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><em><em><strong>Author's Note:<strong> _ This story is part of the 'Five of Hearts' series and part 3 of the Byron & Jennifer trilogy. Byron must overcome his debilitating fear of large cats (particularly lions) if he wants to make a life with Jennifer. The title should be speak for itself.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1 <strong>

**Summer 2012**

It was a surprisingly beautiful and temperate late August day and Byron stood at the fork in the pathway, his fists clenched, sweat forming on his brow that had nothing to do with the temperature. His mind was not on the pleasant weather at all; it was focused on the pathway ahead of him. He had spent the last several minutes standing on this spot and trying to work himself up to take the next step. The way was clear but he was unable to force his legs to move. With a cry of anguish and frustration he finally turned away from the path. His back now turned toward that place of tragedy, and the origin of his fears, he trudged away from his intended destination his eyes downcast in defeat. He settled onto the bench outside the bird house in weary resignation and stared at the sign depicting a lion. This part of the zoo was much different looking than when he had visited it as a seven year old child. But the old terror of what had happened here to that young child still hung heavy over the place and over his mind.

Byron had tried many different ways to overcome his fear of large cats. He had stared for hours at pictures in books. He had rented and watched hours of movies that contained lions (sometimes with limited success - - the movie 'The Ghost And The Darkness' had sent him fleeing from the room). He had even managed to sit through the entire length of the musical 'Cats'. He discovered that he liked the music but found the story a bit lacking. He was actually proud of the fact that he could get past the appearance of the actors to follow the story, such as it was, well enough to form such opinions.

He had even made one more trip to New York last June for Jennifer's graduation and to 'confront' Jennifer's family. It had been very difficult for him. His heart had been pounding from the moment he had boarded the plane knowing what was ahead. Throughout the ordeal he had remained steadfast. He had faced her family and kept his fear under control.

He had met Jennifer's leonine brothers for the first time. It had been hard but not as hard as he had expected. He had managed to control his fear in part by telling himself that Jacob and Charles were just actors in lion costumes like the play. It had helped a bit. Vincent, however, still scared him half to death and, despite his little mind trick, it took all of his courage and Jennifer's presence to face him. But he had done it.

After the graduation ceremony Byron had been invited out to a late lunch with Jennifer's friends and family at a nice restaurant in midtown. The only ones missing were her father and brothers. He had almost forgotten about Jennifer's male family members as he sat with her family at the restaurant. He had been able to loosen up and enjoy himself.

But he had not really conquered his fear. He had only pushed it back a little, tricked it by playing games with his own mind. His fear remained and despite his best efforts. He still was unable to enter the large cat area of the zoo.

He had hoped that if he could only conquer that one all important hurtle then the rest of his fears would crumble and maybe he would finally learn to be comfortable in Vincent's presence.

But not today. He hung his head and shook it. Not today.

Byron rubbed his hand across his sweat soaked t-shirt. He could clearly feel the three prominent scars that slashed across his chest and abdomen; a tangible souvenir of the tragic event that was the author of his fear. He closed his eyes and released a deep sigh. There would be other days and other attempts to beat this thing and beat it he would. He had to for Jennifer as well as for himself.

Finally he pushed himself to his feet and headed toward the Zoo's main exit. He had a long drive to get back home. Jennifer would be arriving tomorrow afternoon and he had promised to meet her at the airport.

~ o ~

After Byron arrived home and cleaned up, he fixed himself a quick cold cut sandwich then sat at his kitchen table and brooded over it. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't seem to conquer that one major hurtle. That one section of the zoo always defeated him.

He pulled the small box out of his pocked and placed it on the table in front of him. Inside it was the symbol of all that he hoped for but felt unworthy of obtaining until he could conquer his fear. He opened the box and looked at the object inside for several seconds then, with a sad sigh, closed the box and put it back in his pocket.

He got up from his table and threw the half-eaten sandwich away then headed off to his bedroom. He placed the small ring box in the back of his sock drawer where it had resided for a little over a year now. With a groan of anger and frustration he threw himself into his bed.

~ BnB ~

Byron anxiously waited for the arrival of Jennifer's plane. Things had been a little uncertain between him and Jennifer since last March. The way he had bolted in total uncontrolled panic when he had first met her father had left a large question mark hanging over their relationship. The fact that she still wanted to give it a chance was encouraging. Now it was August and Jennifer was coming to Austin to begin her post graduate studies at the University of Texas.

Byron's mind again wandered over everything that had occurred over the last five months. A lot had happened in that time. He had met (faced) Jennifer's twin brother, Jacob, and learned that he been married for almost two years to a young woman named Linda. He had also learned that Jennifer's other brother, Charles, was apparently very close to Elizabeth, the daughter of The New York District Attorney. During his visit he had been told what he suspected was an abbreviated version of how Catherine and Vincent first met.

Jennifer had finally told him most of the story of what happened during and after the 9/11 terrorist attack. That story had been stranger and more interesting that he could ever have guessed. Through that story he now knew that Vincent and his son's had access to the utility tunnels under Manhattan. He was convinced that there was a lot more about those tunnels than what she had told him. He suspected that it had something to do with the homeless people that were sometimes found hiding in those old utility tunnels.

Byron's attention was brought back to the present by the announcement of the arrival of Jennifer's flight. He glanced at the board which now showed "**ARRIVED**" next to her flight number. He turned and headed over to where she would be coming out of the security area.

The first person Byron recognized was Catherine then the next second he spotted Jennifer standing beside her. For several seconds all he saw was Jennifer. His attention was drawn to the light sparkling off the pendent hanging from Jennifer's neck. It was the one he had given her for her birthday. He took it as a sign that she still cared about him and he felt some of the tension leach away. Then Catherine and Jennifer spotted him and both broke into smiles as they called out to him. As Catherine and Jennifer got closer he noticed Brigit and Nancy following close behind them. He had been expecting Catherine to accompany her daughter but the two younger sisters were a surprise. He was suddenly glad that he had borrowed his oldest brother's SUV rather than picking her up in his prized 96 Trans Am as he had originally planned. He had decided on the SUV when he learned that her mother might be coming.

After greetings all around Byron led them to the luggage carrousel. While waiting Jennifer explained that they had decided to make a little family vacation out of it. Byron told them that he had the week off and that he would be happy to act as tour guide for them. Catherine thanked him and accepted his offer. During a pause in the conversation Byron made a quick phone call and changed his reservation for three to a reservation for five. Finally their luggage arrived and soon they were all piled into the SUV and on their way.

As they stopped at an intersection Jennifer pointed out the 'Nightwing' bat sculpture. Byron heard a familiar sound and glanced back to see Nancy taking a couple of pictures of the sculpture. "Pictures to show Dad when we get back home." Nancy commented.

The light changed and Byron turned right. Moments later he was commenting. "We are now crossing the bridge where the bat colony lives." He pointed to a tall building just on the other side of the river. "That is the hotel that you said you're staying at. I also have reservations for dinner this evening at one of the best places to watch the bats when they come out. I hope you all like sea food."

"Is that the same place you took me?" Jennifer inquired.

'That's the place." Byron replied.

Jennifer turned to look back at the others. "You guys will love this place." She remarked enthusiastically. "The food is good and the view of the bats at sunset is spectacular."

Nancy chuckled. "Ever since Jen got back she's been going on about that to everyone that will listen."

Brigit giggled. "Yea, I think she's obsessed."

Nancy jumped back in. "She also went on and on about some Bart's Creek swimming hole."

Jennifer frowned back at her two sisters. "It's called Barton Springs and it's a lot more than just a swimming hole." She responded with a bit of a huff.

Nancy and Brigit both broke out in giggles and teased Jennifer a bit more while she insistently proclaimed that they were exaggerating. A minute later Byron pulled up to the entrance to the hotel. Byron and Jennifer helped her mother and sisters unload their luggage then went with them to check in.

Up in their hotel room Byron glanced through the window. "You got a north facing room. You can see the Capital Building very clearly from here."

They all joined him to examine the view. Again Nancy was snapping off pictures of the scenery.

Brigit remarked after a few seconds. "Jen, you were right. It does have a pinkish cast."

Byron chuckled. "Yea, we Texans are proud of our pink capital building. It's similar in design to the US Capital but, like everything else in Texas, it is a bit larger." That got a few giggles from the young twins. Byron then pointed to a clearly visible tower a little to the right of the Capital building. "Over there is the tower that marks the University of Texas Campus where Jennifer will be going to school."

"That tower sure stands out doesn't it." Nancy commented as she lowered her camera.

"It's one of the tallest buildings in the city." Byron remarked. "My family has a lot of history with that place. I graduated there. All three of my brothers graduated from there. Both my parents graduated from there. Both my grandfathers graduated from there." He grinned. "In fact that is where my father met my mother." He paused for a few seconds, gazing at the tower, as a frown passed across his face. "My dad was twelve when that nut job started shooting people from that tower. His mother had brought him to find a birthday present for his father, something with a 'Texas Longhorn' theme. A bullet struck the pavement not three feet from him and, the next instant, another got his mother. He had to drag her to a safe spot behind a low wall." As they all stared at Byron in shock, he shrugged and continued. "It hit her in the ass. We later learned that if she hadn't been standing exactly where she was the bullet would have hit and probably killed dad." He grinned again. "Now-a-days the whole thing has become the 'butt' of family jokes."

After a half second of shocked silence everyone else in the room groaned loudly. Jennifer shook her head with her hand over her eyes. She had heard this one before. In fact she had learned that Byron loved puns, the worse they were the more he liked them, and he was more than capable of firing them off faster than she could keep up.

After a minute they all resumed settling their things in the room.

~ o ~

Once that was done they headed back down and ten minutes later they arrived at the University of Texas campus. Byron helped them carry Jennifer's stuff as he showed them the way to her new dorm room.

Byron glanced at the room number then pushed open the already ajar door. "Well here you are." He remarked as he entered the room.

The room contained two identical sets of dorm room furniture. Two beds, two tiny night stands, two small dressers, two small desks and two chairs. In the middle of the room was a two foot by two foot table and in one corner was a small refrigerator with a microwave sitting carelessly on top of it. Neither of them looked like it didn't really belong in the room and neither of them were plugged in. There was an open suitcase sitting on one of the beds and an empty one on the floor next to the bed. There were several pieces of clothing hanging in the open closet.

After a quick glance around, Byron nodded and placed the large suitcase he was carrying on the other bed. "Not bad." He commented with a nod.

Jennifer shrugged. "It's not home but it's OK."

Catherine glanced at the bed where Jennifer's larger suitcase now lay. "For a college dorm room it's not too bad" She eyed the small two person room critically. "At Radcliffe there was four of us in a room only half again as big as this."

"It's bigger than our room back home." Nancy commented as she looked around poking into all the nooks and crannies.

"It's bigger than what my classmates had when I went here." Byron remarked as he leaned against the nearest wall.

Brigit looked over at Byron curiously. "Classmates?"

"What about you?" Nancy asked Byron.

Byron shrugged. "My father's parents' house is very close to here. I stayed with them while I was going to school. I inherited it and I live there now."

Jennifer pulled a familiar hooded cloak out of her suitcase and hung it up in the closet. It brought back memories of the first time he had encountered her in a dead end alley in New York and he wondered if it might foreshadow anything about her next few years here in Austin.

**_ Continued in Part 2_**

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><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


	2. Chapter 2

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2 <strong>

Everyone glanced in surprise over at the dorm room door as it banged open. A tall slender girl with shoulder length fire engine red hair barged into the room grumbling loudly about 'fair-weather-friends' and carrying a large and, apparently, very heavy box. She stopped short looking around in surprise at the unexpectedly crowded room. "Oh! Ahh . . ."

Byron recovered first and jumped forward. "Here, let me help you with that." He carefully relieved her of the box. "Where do you want it?"

After a moment's pause the girl pointed. "Right there on the desk will do fine . . . ahh, thanks, that box was heavy." Byron set the box on the indicated desk as the girl looked around at all the people in the room. Then she shook her head as she spoke in a bemused tone. "I wish you guys had been here twenty minutes ago when I was bringing in the fridg and microwave. Ahh, my name is Shelbe Carter."

Byron raised one eyebrow. "You don't, by any chance, drive a Mustang, do you?"

Brigit and Nancy glanced at each other looking confused. Catherine unsuccessfully smothered a short snort of a laugh. Shelbe glanced down and a half smile fitted across her face.

Jennifer shook her head and tried not to grin then whapped Byron lightly on the chest. "You should at least give her a little time before exposing her to your weird sense of humor." She turned to Shelbe. "Hi, my name is Jennifer." She glanced around. "Those are my sisters, Brigit and Nancy. This is my mother Catherine." She titled her head at Byron. "The source of the bad jokes is my boyfriend, Byron Wyatt."

Byron felt a hint of a tingle pass through him at Jennifer's reference to him as her boyfriend.

Shelbe looked around at them. "It's nice to meet you all." A spark of amusement flashed in her eyes as she turned toward Byron. "Actually my dad happens to own a mint condition 1968 Shelby Mustang G.T. 350. It's his pride and joy. Dad claims I originated in the back seat and Mom just giggles and turns red."

Byron's jaw dropped and Jennifer chuckled while drawing two imaginary vertical lines in the air. "Two points to Shelbe." She turned to Byron. "Looks like my new roommate may be more than a match for you, Texas."

"Texas?" Shelbe looked at Byron curiously.

Jennifer responded to her inquiry. "Byron is inordinately proud of his Texas heritage. He claims to go back at least six generations."

Shelbe stuck out her hand with a grin. "Well, howdy padner! I'm fifth generation myself."

Byron took her hand with an answering grin. "Nice ta meet yawl."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Oh, God. I'm surrounded."

While Jennifer and Shelbe unpacked and stowed away their 'stuff', with Nancy and Brigit's help, Shelbe got to know Jennifer and her family and they got to know her. Shelbe had come down from Wichita Falls and was going to major in computer science. After she had put all of her stuff away, Nancy took a few pictures of Jennifer and Shelbe together. Then Shelbe headed out the door with a quick cheery 'bye yawl'. A few minutes later Jennifer suggested that they go by Byron's place to show it to her mother and sisters.

~ o ~

Byron pulled up before the little two bedroom house. The house was half hidden by a large evergreen tree in the front yard. A mint condition red '96 Trans Am with silver ghost flames across the nose sat on the gravel driveway beside the house.

Nancy shot a couple of pictures then nodded as she took in the well cared for building and yard. "Looks nice."

Once inside Byron took a few minutes to show them around then offered everyone snacks and sodas.

Catherine smiled at him and accepted a drink from him. "This is a charming little place."

"Thank you." He responded.

"How are you coming on the other house?" Jennifer asked.

Byron grinned back at her. "Work's going well on it. Would you like to see?"

"Oh yes, definitely. I'm dying to see what you've done with it since I last saw the place." Jennifer remarked enthusiastically. She turned to Catherine. "The last time I saw the house on the other side of the property it was just a large empty shell with no inside walls and filled to the rafters with old furniture. Byron has been telling me about the work he has been doing on this place in his spare time."

Byron led them out the back door. "I refurbished and sold off all of that old furniture. Some of it actually turned out to be moderately valuable antiques. I used the money to buy construction materials and a really nice set of cordless hand tools."

As they exited the back of the small house Jennifer pointed to a smaller building to the right. "That is the workshop and garage that I told you about."

Directly across the yard was a building that appeared to be more than twice the size of the house that they had just been in. A set of temporary wooden steps led up to brand new glass French doors flanked by two floor to ceiling windows where Jennifer had remembered seeing a single wooden door last time she was here.

"You enlarged the back door and added some windows." Jennifer remarked in surprise. "It looks nice

"I had to. I needed to be able to get the building materials inside out of the weather. I decided that since I was already cutting a big hole in the back of the house, I might as well add the windows." He responded as he opened the double doors.

They entered into a large open central area that was occupied by pallets of sheetrock and lumber and a radial arm saw. On a work table next to the door sat an impressive array of cordless hand tools all neatly laid out ready for use. To the left several rooms had been framed out. New insulation had been installed along two thirds of the outer wall. Above the open rafters, duct work could be seen running the length of the house. Byron quickly moved to the front of the house and opened the other set of double doors. Everyone could immediately feel the effects of the breeze that now flowed through the house.

Byron pointed to the metallic duct work overhead. "I finished installing the air conditioning ducts last week. Next week I have a contractor coming out to install a new air conditioning system."

Catherine glanced around then looked back at Byron. "Jennifer tells me that you are doing most of the construction work yourself."

"That's true." Byron nodded. "I'm having contractors install the AC unit and do the basic plumbing since I have no experience with that, but everything else I'm doing myself."

"What about the wiring?" Asked Nancy. "I thought that required a special license or something."

Byron shook his head. "As long as I have the finished work checked out by a licensed electrician, there is no reason why I can't do the work myself." He smiled a bit self-consciously. "I spent one summer volunteering with a group that built small houses for homeless families. I worked on the framing and the wiring for them and got pretty good at it. I have loved woodworking since I was very young and there was a certified electrician supervising the installation of the wiring." He pointed to a heavy duty extension cord that ended in a four socket box coiled up under the power saw. "Right now that is the only power in the building. That's why I do most of the work with cordless power tools."

Leading them through the jungle of 2x4's Byron pointed out each of the rooms in that end of the house. Then he pointed out the lines on the floor at the other end that defined the rooms that had not yet been framed.

"How long do you think it will take to finish this place?" Catherine asked.

Byron shrugged. "My time is very limited these days but I'm hoping to have this place ready to occupy by next Fall."

"I hope I get a chance to see it when you finish." Remarked Catherine with a smile.

"I look forward to showing it to you." Responded Byron then he glanced at his watch. "It's getting late. We need to get moving if we want to make it to dinner on time." He closed up the building then they all returned to his brother's SUV.

As they pulled away from the curb Byron spoke up. "I should warn you about this place we're going to." He turned on to the road leading to the highway. "Around sundown things can get pretty batty around that part of town." A mischievous grin flashed across his face as several groans were heard in the car.

Ten minutes later they arrived at the restaurant. Catherine and her daughters were dismayed at the number of people waiting to be seated. Byron worked his way up to the man standing at the host podium and gave his name. And a very short time later they were seated at one of the best tables on the patio with a clear view of the bridge. Catherine glanced over at Byron, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.

Byron noticed the look and, with a slight tilt to the head, smiled mischievously at her. "In New York the name Catherine Chandler opens doors and commands respect." He shrugged. "In Austin 'The Senator' gets that kind of instant respect." He gave a self-depreciating snort. "I work in his office, therefore some of his light shines on me." He sighed. "I hope to eventually follow in his footsteps. I only hope when I do that I can win that kind of respect for myself."

Catherine nodded. She believe that he had the drive and the personality to make it. She only hoped that he made it without losing the deep down integrity and idealism that Jennifer so admired in him. "I have faith that you will achieve that goal." She remarked then picked up her menu. "Let's see what they have here."

Byron's gaze shifted momentarily from Catherine to Jennifer and was arrested by the hint of pride and approval that he saw in her warm smile. With an effort he forced his attention to the menu in his hand though he already knew what he wanted to order.

Nancy and Brigit glanced at each other and shrugged. It was bad enough when Jen was on the Byron band wagon; now it sounded like their mother was about to climb aboard as well. Brigit shook her head. They had all heard about Byron's first meeting with their dad. Byron's reaction had been so strong that their brother Charles had felt it all the way up-stairs in his room. And what would happen if they got married and had a child that looked like their dad?

Brigit felt a nudge in the ribs from Nancy and hastily returned her attention to the menu. After a few moments the descriptions of the various dishes had her mouth watering.

After a fairly short time Nancy mumble. "Oh, this looks good." She closed her menu and set it down and looked over at Byron. "So, Byron, when does this great bat exodus take place?"

Byron glanced over at the sky for a moment then responded. "It shouldn't be long . . . not more than twenty minutes or so." He looked back at Nancy and continued. "There are so many of them that it takes a long time for all of them to emerge. We were lucky to arrive just before they start. The best part is when they first start coming out."

At that point their waiter approached. "Are you ready to order yet?" He inquired politely.

Byron glanced around and everyone nodded. "Yes, I think we're ready."

Each in turn expressed their orders which the waiter dutifully took down. Then he disappeared into the back of the restaurant. The table conversation revolved around the plane ride from New York and what they had seen of the city since they arrived.

Nancy glanced around then her eyes got very wide. "Look!" She exclaimed as she pointed out toward the bridge.

Everyone's gaze followed the direction of her pointing finger and there were gasps from the tables around them. A large dark cloud could be seen emerging from under the bridge and expanding rapidly toward them. The restaurant was soon filled by sounds of awe as everyone became aware of the spectacle. The next moment Nancy was snapping a dozen pictures of that spectacle. Soon the nearest edge of the growing dark mass was close enough that the diners could clearly see that it was made up of thousands and thousands of bats. Nancy slowly lowered her camera as she gazed on in amazement.

"How long does that last?" Inquired Brigit, her eyes wide with wonder.

Jennifer was the one that responded. When Bryan and I left here nearly an hour after it started they were still coming out from under the bridge."

Nancy tore her eyes from the spectacle to address her older sister. "You weren't exaggerating when you told us about them, were you?"

"Nope." Jennifer replied with a big grin. "Every word I said about the bats was the gods-honest truth."

The rest of the dinner passed pleasantly. After Dinner Byron dropped Catherine, Nancy and Brigit off at their hotel then took Jennifer to the U T campus. He walked her to her dorm room. The halls were crowded with students searching for their rooms and carrying boxes of their personal items, all rushing around like a disturbed ant's nest. After a quick hug and kiss, Jennifer worked her way into her room and Byron headed home.

**_ Continued in Part 3_**

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><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


	3. Chapter 3

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Byron glanced at the cluttered surface of his desk to make sure that all of the mail had been opened. Then he glanced up at the clock. He had already worked through lunch and he would have to hurry if he was to meet Jennifer and her family on time. Jennifer was giving her family a tour of the university campus then they were planning to have lunch with Jennifer's new roommate. He was supposed to meet them after lunch and take them out to Barton Springs then he was going to surprise them by taking them out to The Oasis for dinner. He paused and smiled at the thought of seeing Jennifer in her bikini. He was also looking forward to seeing her family's reaction to both places.

He forced his mind back to his work and quickly stacked the letters and put them into his IN box. He would go through them later and sort out the ones that should go to The Senator. This included ones that needed to be answered and ones that contained information that he felt that The Senator should see. He had also placed a blank tally sheet on top of the stack. When he went through the letters he would fill it out indicating the prevailing opinions expressed by the people that 'The Senator' represented.

Next he gathered up the campaign donation checks into a stack. He grabbed The Senator's signature stamp and quickly endorsed the back of all the checks then filled out a deposit slip. He stuffed the checks and deposit slip into a bank bag and set it aside. He folded the donation list and a copy of the deposit slip into an envelope, addressed it to the campaign headquarters, and dropped it into the outgoing mail basket.

Byron glanced back up at the clock. He had just enough time to get to the U T campus. He grabbed the bank bag and rushed out of the office. Fifteen minutes later he pulled up in front of Jennifer's dorm. The family was out front waiting for him. He spotted the bright red hair of Jennifer's roommate among them. Shelbe waved goodbye to the others and took off up the street while the Chandler women all piled into the SUV.

He turned to address them. "I have to make one quick stop at the bank before it closes to deposit this week's campaign contributions then we'll head on over to see Barton Springs." He glanced over at Jennifer and grinned. "I hope you all remember to bring your swimsuits."

Brigit snorted in response as Nancy held up a beach bag while commenting. "We've got'em right here."

Byron pulled away from the curb and drove the few blocks to the nearest branch of the bank, arriving just eight minutes before closing time. The four women followed Byron into the bank. Byron headed for the line in front of the tellers. Jennifer followed Byron. Catherine, Brigit, and Nancy headed over to a group of chairs were several people were seated.

As Byron took his place in the short business accounts line, Jennifer put her hand in his and leaned in to speak softly. "I just wanted to thank you for spending so much time showing my mother and sisters around."

Byron smiled back. "It's no big deal. I enjoy showing them around and it gives me a good excuse to spend more time with you." They were interrupted by a loud disturbance behind them.

Five hooded men with sawed off shotguns barged into the bank just as the guard was trying to lock the doors. One of the men smashed the armed guard to the floor with the butt of his shotgun as another of the men fired a shot into the ceiling.

A third man started shouting orders to everyone in the bank. "Listen up! These shotguns have a very wide pattern. Anyone tries anything and it will take them out as well as their nearest neighbors." The five men then quickly spread out in the bank lobby.

As Byron looked over at Catherine he saw Brigit and Nancy crouched slightly behind her. Two of the men were beginning to force the customers toward the seating area as two others headed into the teller's area.

He looked back at Catherine and saw her eyes go wide. Byron followed Catherine's gaze only to see a familiar feral look in Jennifer's eyes. He glanced back at the other three and noticed a less feral but very determined look spread across the faces of Brigit and Nancy. He knew that the two youngest sisters were just as fast and strong as Jennifer and he doubted that he could stop them from acting.

Well if he couldn't stop them he might as well join them. He quickly scanned the room to fix the placement of the five men in his mind.

Two of the robbers were near Nancy and Brigit, still getting the cowering customers quieted and under control. Two more were behind the counter gathering up all the cash. The apparent leader was behind Byron stacking the filled bags of money onto some type of portable folding dolly. So far none of the men had noticed the dangerous looks on the faces of the three sisters.

Byron coughed once, drawing the attention of the three sisters then held his hand close to his chest where only they could see it and silently counted to three on his fingers.

Instantly all four sprang into action. The bank robbers were taken completely by surprise. Brigit and Nancy each tackled one of the men guarding the hostages to the ground knocking them out with a few well placed punches. Byron snatched up the shotgun that the man next to him had just set down and swung it with all his might. The man flew over the cart, out cold, and landed with a thump on the hard floor. Jennifer had literally leaped over the teller's counter and in a quick flurry of attacks left those two men on the floor, one out cold and one curled up groaning in pain. The whole battle had lasted less than two seconds and was over before anyone realized what was happening and without another shot being fired.

While the rest of the people in the bank were trying to recover from the shock of what had just happened, Catherine was calling the police and Byron went over to check on the guard that had been injured,

By the time the police had arrived, the five robbers were tied up and lined up against the wall by the door. They were being guarded by a very irritated bank guard and Catherine's three daughters. Nancy took a couple of pictures of the tied up robbers while Brigit taunted them about how easily they had ben taken out. Brigit's taunts drew a chuckle from Byron.

While the police were questioning the other customers in the bank, Byron managed to take care of his campaign contributions deposit. The bank manager handled it personally.

After the robbers were taken away and the other customers were allowed to leave, the detective in charge insisted that Byron and the Chandler women follow him to the police station to give their statements.

~ o ~

At the police station Catherine, her daughters, and Byron were giving their depositions to the detectives. Byron glanced over at Catherine when he heard the words 'martial arts training'. Before the police had arrived at the bank, Byron had suggested that they tell the police that the three girls were all very much into martial arts to explain the way they had taken out the bank robbers. Catherine had replied that she had intended to make the same suggestion.

Byron's attention was brought back by the detective's next question. "So how do you know those four women?"

Byron grinned. "The first time I saw Jennifer was when she came to my rescue. I was in New York on business and got trapped in an alley by a gang of five street thugs. She waded in and took out four of them while I took out the fifth one."

"And what kind of business were you engaged in that put you in an alley?" The detective asked. Byron could detect a hint of suspicion in the detective's frown.

"I was there on a political trip with 'The Senator' as an intern. I had a few hours free time so I went sight-seeing. I got lost and made a wrong turn. Next thing I knew, I was surrounded by some members of a street gang." Byron responded.

"And what is your current relationship with those four?" The detective inquired.

"Friend of the family." Byron tilted his head. "With Jennifer a bit closer . . . and hoping to eventually be much closer."

The detective quirked his mouth and Byron could swear that he was trying to suppress a grin. "I think that will do it for now." Then the detective dismissed him.

Byron went over to the benches against the wall and the detective called Jennifer next. A few minutes later Catherine came over and sat down beside him and Brigit was called up. Nancy was over perusing the contents of a nearby vending machine. Byron noticed that Catherine was looking over at Jennifer with a worried frown.

Finally Byron spoke to Catherine. "You look a little worried. Is there something wrong?'

After a long pause Catherine responded. "I'm just a little worried about Jennifer is all. This is her first time completely on her own away from home." She let out a deep sigh. "I've had to deal with them all their lives and I've learned that they are more than able to take care of themselves. All three of my girls have tended to be a bit . . . aggressive, but Jennifer . . . she has a tendency to charge right in and worry about the consequences later. She has always been that way." Catherine glanced over at Jennifer a moment then continued. "She is not really a bad girl but usually when the three of them get into mischief or something like this happens, it's Jennifer that is behind it. You saw her in the bank."

Byron looked over at Jennifer and nodded. "I've noticed . . . but every time I have seen her charge into battle it has been to defend against some very bad guys or to help someone else, like me, who was in trouble." He turned his gaze on Catherine. "I think that she is a very kind and caring woman with a strong protective streak. And she can certainly take care of herself. I'm sure that she'll do just fine here." He canted his head. "I'll be here if she needs anything although she seems to be pretty self-sufficient."

Catherine looked over at Jennifer and nodded. "I know but I still worry." She shrugged and looked at Byron. "I'm a mother. It's part of the job description." She smiled at Byron. "I am glad that she has you in her life. I think that you're a good influence on her."

Byron shrugged. "Personally, I think she has had a bigger influence on me." A slight hint of pink stained his cheeks. "I find that she makes me want to be a better person so that I can be worthy of her."

Catherine cocked her head. "Oh, believe me, you are Byron. Vincent and I both believe that."

Byron's cheeks got redder at the idea that Vincent felt that he was worthy of his daughter. At that moment Nancy could be heard complaining about the lack of anything edible in any of the vending machines.

~ o ~

It was getting late when they finally got out of the police station. Byron looked at his watch and sighed. "It's too late for Barton Springs." He glanced over at them then smiled as a new idea occurred to him. "But it is a perfect time of day for dinner at a special place that I know of."

"And where is that?" Jennifer inquired with raised eyebrow.

Byron grinned as he unlocked the SUV. "That is a surprise but I think you will like it."

After about a half hour of driving they had left the city proper and were now surround by beautiful countryside dotted occasionally by very expensive looking houses. They passed a sign indicting that they were getting close to Lake Travis. A minute later they pulled into a very large parking area next to two buildings that were not much bigger than two small houses.

Catherine glanced around at the large number of cars then back at the two relatively small buildings and the few people that she could see milling around. "Where are all the people?"

Jennifer, Brigit, and Nancy looked confused. A sign above the entry identified this place as "The Oasis". One of the buildings appeared to be a small gift shop and the other appeared to be too small to be much of a restaurant.

Byron simply smiled at their looks of confusion. "Come this way." He remarked as he led them into one of the buildings. Byron walked up to the hostess at the podium. "Byron Wyatt, party of five."

Jennifer frowned at the confined surroundings then something in her memory clicked and a light seemed to come on in her eyes. If this was the place Byron had once told her about then she and her family was in for a very pleasant dinner.

The hostess took five menus and handed them to a young man. "This way." The young man instructed and led them through the building and out the back.

As they exited the back of the building, all four women gasped in amazement. They were standing on a wide wooden terrace, with a dozen round tables full of diners, looking out over a large lake from a great height. They were facing west and the sun was riding low in the sky. The young man led them along to the railing where they could see several more large wooden terraces below them on the side of a steep hill. The view of the lake was spectacular. The next second Nancy had her camera out snapping pictures.

The young man led them down some stairs to a lower terrace then over to a table large enough for all five of them. He seated them, passed out the menus and took their drink orders then left.

After a minute Brigit's eyes got wide and she pointed outward. "Look!" She exclaimed.

The others looked in the direction she was pointing followed by "Ooohhs" and "Aaahh's". Two large hawks were circling fifty feet out at tree top level which just happened to be at the same level as the terrace they were sitting on. One of the hawks wheeled and passed within ten feet of the edge of the terrace drawing reactions of wonder and amazement from several of the diners and a flurry of activity from Nancy and her camera. Shortly after that their drinks arrived along with their waiter.

After giving their orders, Catherine and her daughters, followed by Byron, went over to the railing to get a better view. Byron pointed out various features in the view before them. They saw several more terraces below them and spotted four more hawks wheeling among the trees further down the hillside. There were three sailboats gracefully skimming along and half a dozen motor boats zipping back and forth out on the lake. They returned to their table just as the food arrived.

By mutual agreement they avoided the subject of the bank robbery and engaged in friendly banter while enjoying good food and the spectacular view. More than once Byron and Jennifer were caught surreptitiously holding hands and had endured some good natured teasing.

By the time they finished their leisurely meal, the sun was resting on the far horizon and the sky was ablaze with patches of red, orange and gold among scattered deep purple clouds riding in a deep blue sky.

Catherine had offered to pay for the meal but Byron insisted that they were guest in his town and this was his treat.

While waiting for the waiter to bring back Byron's card the five of them spent a few minutes in silence admiring the view. Byron had been here several times yet he could never get enough of the spectacular sunsets one could see from this vantage point.

By the time they arrived back at Jennifer's dorm it was deep twilight. After a round of goodbyes, Catherine and her two youngest daughters drove off in their rented car, heading back to the hotel. Jennifer and Byron took hold of each other's hand as they watched the car heading away from them.

**_ Continued in Part 4_**

* * *

><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


	4. Chapter 4

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

As the car carrying her mother and sisters disappeared from view Jennifer turned to Byron. "How about we go for a little walk?"

Byron smiled at her. "I would love to walk with you." The two of them started off walking toward the UT tower.

Jennifer took his hand, lacing her fingers through his, then smiled at Byron as she remarked quietly. "That place you took us for dinner was beautiful. Mom and my sisters were certainly impressed by it. I had some idea what to expect from your description but I was still blown away by what I saw."

"I'm glad you liked it." Byron smiled back at her. "I wanted to take you to 'The Oasis' last time you were here but there were so many other things I wanted to show you as well that we ran out of time."

Byron and Jennifer strolled along in silence for several minutes. Byron's mind was filled with thoughts about the last two days. He glanced over at Jennifer thinking about how much she had affected his life. Then his failure at the zoo intruded on his thoughts.

Jennifer glanced at him and noticed the frown that had crossed his face. "What is it, Byron?"

He looked over at her. "What?"

"The way you were frowning . . . what is wrong?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing."

"It must be something." She responded. "Please, tell me what is bothering you." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

He walked on for a few seconds, his head down, debating what to say. He finally responded in a subdued voice. "I went to the zoo the day before you arrived. I tried to go to the lion section." He paused for a few steps then continued, his voice even more subdued. "I couldn't do it . . . I failed."

After a few moments Jennifer responded to his admission. "It doesn't matter, Byron. It doesn't affect how I feel about you."

Byron shrugged, his head still hung down. "But how can our relationship go anywhere when I can barely force myself to face your father and brothers. I'm sure they don't find my reaction particularly pleasant either. I know that in-law problems are not that uncommon but . . . this seems insurmountable."

He didn't see the surprised look she gave him at the term 'in-law'. This was the first really solid un-ambivalent indication she had gotten that he really did want to make their relationship a permanent one. There had been plenty of hints and a fair share of teasing but he had been dead serious this time. Even if he probably hadn't realized exactly what he had said. Maybe it was time to make hers and her family's feelings on the matter equally un-ambivalent.

Jennifer stopped walking and pulled Byron around, forcing him to face her then took both his hands in hers. There was a kind of fierceness in her eyes as she spoke. "Byron, Mother and Father both think very highly of you." She looked down a moment then her gaze returned to him her face softened as she continued. "I never told you this, but Dad is very sensitive about how people react to him, yet he was particularly impressed by the amount of courage it took for you to face him when I brought you back from the park that night you two met. Dad and my brothers admire your strength of character. Dad has even told me that he genuinely likes you . . ." She paused, glancing down for a moment then her eyes rose as high as his chest. ". . . and he thinks that we are perfect for each other." She raised her gaze to his eyes a then smiled. "And I tend to agree with him. We belong together." She stretched up while pulling him toward her and kissed him.

After a moment Byron put his arms around her and returned the kiss. Then her arms went around his neck and she deepened the kiss as he pulled her in closer. The world around them seemed to fade away as their emotions swirled around them driving their passion.

They were brought back to reality by a long whistle followed by a very emphatic "Woo Hoo!"

They pulled apart, both turning bright red, and looked toward the source of the sounds.

There stood Shelbe Carter, staring back at them in frank admiration. Shelbe crossed her arms and her grin widened as her eyes danced with amusement. "Girlfriend, you two really need to get a room." She giggled. "Or maybe I need to get a room for the night so you two can have the dorm room to yourselves."

"Shelbe!" Jennifer exclaimed as her face became almost as red as Shelbe's hair.

Byron, whose face was as red as Jennifer's cleared his throat. "Ahh, no need to give up your room." He looked at Jennifer and his eyes danced. "My house happens to be very close to here." His face turned even redder.

Jennifer also turned redder as she tried unsuccessfully to suppress a grin.

Shelbe snorted then shook her head. "I think I'm jealous." She waved as she headed off toward the dorm. "Well, see you whenever." She started humming some tune that Byron couldn't quite place as she disappeared around the corner.

Jennifer shook her head. "I'm going to have to get back at her for that one."

Byron glanced at her curiously. "What?"

Jennifer snickered then explained. "She was humming the tune to 'Afternoon Delight' as she walked away."

Byron again cleared his throat. "Ahhh."

Jennifer grabbed his hand. "Now, where were we?" She pulled him toward her and renewed their kiss."

After awhile they continued their stroll. Now he had his arm around her shoulder and her arm was around his waist.

A short time later they stopped at an all night deli and ice cream shop that was located at the edge of the campus. They shared a black and white Sunday while they talked about their plans for the immediate future.

Jennifer had been telling Byron about the classes she was taking this semester and he had commented that it sounded like a fairly heavy schedule.

Jennifer looked down at the Sunday and poked at it a couple of times. "Yea, I know." Jennifer nodded with a bit of a grimace then looked up at Byron. "I wanted to get some of my harder classes out of the way up front which means that between those four classes and the other three core classes I'll be carrying a heavy course load for my first semester. I always tended to tackle the more difficult tasks first. It's just the way I am. It probably means that my time will be fairly full." She shrugged. "I still hope to be able to spent some time hanging with you." She took a bite of ice cream.

Byron nodded giving her a half smile. "Yea, my time is going to be a bit limited too." He snorted. "This is an election year. Between dealing with typical campaign issues on top of my normal office duties, I'm going to be very busy until the end of November."

"Doesn't leave much time for us, does it." Jennifer mused ruefully.

Byron cocked his head then with an encouraging smile he pointed his spoon at her and suggested. "Why don't we agree to try to get together at least once a week during the next few busy months."

Jennifer nodded. "Sounds good to me. If nothing else we can catch lunch together occasionally." She dipped her spoon into the Sunday.

Byron nodded. "It's a deal."

She took a couple of bites in silence then looked up at him. "So, what happens during an election year?" She inquired.

Byron went on to describe how campaigning effected his job. From there the conversation swerved into politics in general. Just before midnight they arrived back at Jennifer's dorm room. Shelbe was still up so Byron gave Jennifer a quick light kiss goodbye and headed home.

~ BnB ~

The next day was the last day before Catherine and her two youngest daughters headed back to New York. This time there were no unexpected distractions and Byron was able to take them to Barton Springs. Catherine and her twin daughters were very impressed with their first look at the place. Byron and Jennifer looked at each other and smiled at the others reaction. Eventually they all retired to the bath house to change into their swimsuits.

When Jennifer came out Byron couldn't help but stare at her in her tiny bikini. All four of them looked fantastic but Jennifer out shone them all.

Byron, Jennifer and Catherine set up two large picnic blankets that Byron had brought while Nancy was busy clicking away with her camera. Once their staked out area was put together Nancy stored her camera in their locker and soon they were all in the water. Eventually they returned to their blankets and ate a light lunch. Then they all stretched out to soak up some of the Texas sun.

After a while Nancy looked over at Byron. "Why do you still wear a t-shirt?" She cocked her head. "We already know what happened to you."

Byron shrugged. "The scars are very prominent and they make some people feel uneasy so I always wear a t-shirt when I go swimming."

"How bad are they?" Brigit asked. "We've heard of your scars but Jen doesn't really say much about them."

"Brigit, we don't pry!" Catherine admonished her.

"That's OK, I shouldn't be surprised at her curiosity, considering the circumstances." He glanced around then pulled up his t-shirt exposing the three prominent scars that ran from his right collarbone all the way down to his left abdomen just above the waist band of his swim trunks.

The sight drew gasps from Catherine, Nancy and Brigit.

Catherine was the first to comment after the moment of shocked silence. "I knew the story but I hadn't really realized how serious it must have been."

"It all makes so much more sense now." Nancy commented.

Byron pulled his shirt back down and took a deep breath. "That was all a long time ago. I'm doing my best to try and put the past behind me . . . where it belongs." He looked over at Jennifer. "I have something more important occupying my thoughts now." The serious expression was suddenly supplanted by a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "And thinking about Jennifer is so much more fun."

Brigit and Nancy both laughed and the vague tension that had enveloped them evaporated. After a while they went back into the water.

Late in the afternoon they went back into the city and he showed them around the more common tourist trap sites. That evening they went to the Alamo Draft House for dinner and an intentionally, hilariously, badly dubbed Japanese samurai movie. The movie soon had them laughing so hard they nearly fell out of their seats.

Then they all turned in for the night. The next morning Catherine and the twin girls boarded their plane back to New York. Jennifer spent most of her afternoon in a new student orientation meeting.

~ BnB ~

Byron gazed, with a hint of annoyance, at the stack of folders that had just been dumped on his desk. The last five weeks since Jennifer had arrived had been extremely busy and he'd had very little contact with her during this time. It had been three weeks since he had last seen her for a quick lunch. He missed her.

Byron picked up the top folder with a sigh. It looked like another working lunch at his desk. He glanced at the clock. If he hurried he could hit the lunch line and be back at his desk before the crowd. Byron set the folder back on the pile and headed for the cafeteria.

Byron was in the lunch line of the capital building cafeteria. That's when he caught part of a very interesting conversation between the two men in front of him.

". . . I swear it's the truth. The story is spreading through the whole U T campus. Everyone is talking about it."

"Sounds more like something out of a comic book to me. I mean some guy in a hood and cape comes out of nowhere, breaks up a mugging, then disappears without a trace?"

"That's exactly what I heard. My niece goes there and she told me about it. It's happened twice. The first time was three weeks ago and it happened again two nights ago." The man shrugged. "She said that the rumor is that he must be some kind of martial arts expert the way he throws the muggers around like they were made of straw."

"I still say it sounds like a lot of hooey to me. Probably just a rumor started by some kid as a joke."

The two men broke off as they approached the register. They paid and headed into the cafeteria proper. Byron paid for his sandwich and headed back to his office.

All the way back to the office Byron's mind swirled with the conversation that he had just heard and his own thoughts about it. Was it true? Could Jennifer be responsible as he suspected? It certainly sounded like her.

Once back at his desk Byron had to force his mind back on his work. For the rest of the day his mind kept wandering back to the conversation he overheard in the lunch line. The thing was, he could picture Jennifer doing exactly what the man had described. His mind wandered back to when he had first met Jennifer. He shook his head and again forced his mind back to his work.

~ o ~

After Byron finally got home for the night his mind again turned to Jennifer and what he had overheard in the lunch line. He called her but all he got was her voicemail. He left a short message saying that he was thinking of her. He would definitely have to ask her about it next time he saw her.

**_ Continued in Part 5_**

* * *

><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


	5. Chapter 5

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I apologize for taking so long to post this chapter. The hectic insanity of the holidays sort of got in the way but I'm now back on track (I hope)._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Byron trudged wearily into his home, threw off his outer clothes and collapsed face first into his bed with a tired sigh. It's been like this nearly every night lately. Byron usually didn't get home until well after dark and ended up heading straight to bed. He would be so glad when the election was over and things could go back to normal. Even the weekends were tied up in campaign activities. It had been a very tough hard fought campaign and the whole office had been putting in a lot of extra hours. This time around The Senator was facing some stiff competition from his opponent because of his stance on the southern border and his opponent's campaign of misinformation.

As he lay there Byron's mind drifted away from the day of politics and settled on thoughts of Jennifer.

It was now two months since Jennifer had first arrived in Austin. Somehow, despite their best intentions, their promise to get together at least once a week hadn't lasted past the second week. Between his busy schedule and her heavy class load it seemed that every time one of them had a moment free the other had been hip deep in politics, classes, government business, or intensive studies. Their relationship was measured in missed calls, short voicemail, e-mail, or the rare text messages.

Byron knew that Jennifer didn't need a lot of sleep and had a habit of wandering the campus late at night (a trait that she apparently inherited from her father). Sometimes he wondered how she could get by on so little sleep. Sometimes he wished he could get by on as little sleep as Jennifer could. Then they could at least schedule a few midnight rendezvous. The one time they had tried it he had been so exhausted that he had fallen asleep within a few minutes only to wake up in his own bed the next morning and find a note with the words "**_One Rain-check for a Midnight Rendezvous_**" scribbled on it in Jennifer's handwriting.

In those long weeks Byron had heard more rumors about the hooded figure that haunted the area around the University of Texas campus at night. They had even given it a name. They called it the U T Phantom. According to the stories, the Phantom had stopped three muggings, two attempted rapes and one particularly unpleasant hazing incident. The Phantom had also rescued a group of students trapped in a van after it had crashed. Two of the mugging attempts and both rape attempts were matters of police record, lending serious credence to the growing rumors. In each incident the Phantom had showed up out of nowhere, rescued whoever needed to be rescued, then disappear into the darkness. Every report mentioned that the Phantom had moved very fast and seemed to be very strong. The Phantom wore a long dark gray hooded cloak or cape. No one had yet been able catch a glimpse of the face of the Phantom and everyone assumed that he was male but Byron was convinced that it was Jennifer.

They tried to make the most of their very limited time and the subject of Jennifer's possible extra-curricular activities never came up.

Only a few more weeks and the election would be over. Byron rolled over onto his back and, as he stared up at the dark ceiling, prayed that they would still recognize each other when this was all over. Two minutes later he was fast asleep.

~ BnB ~

The elections were over and 'The Senator' had won by a significant margin. The victory celebration was a very boisterous and very upbeat affair. Jennifer stood beside Byron smiling and soaking up the happy atmosphere. She had taken great pains to be sure that all her schoolwork was caught up so that she could be here for Byron. They raised their Champaign glasses and cheered to the announcement that the opponent had officially conceded defeat.

Jennifer looked into Byron's smiling face. "So what happens now?"

Byron laughed. "Now things get a lot less crazy and hectic. Tomorrow we can start concentrating on running the state." He grinned. "Now we get back to the more normal 'herding cats' level of insanity."

Jennifer laughed. "Mom and dad could relate to that." Her eyes twinkled at him. "That's how mother used to describe watching over my brothers when we were little."

Byron paused a moment in surprise at her comment then an image of Catherine Chandler chasing two leonine toddlers around their townhouse and calling out for Vincent's help popped into his head. The next instant he broke out in a huge belly laugh which caused Jennifer to laugh even harder.

As they were starting to get their laughter under control The Senator approached, a large happy smile graced his face. "So what is it that caused such laughter over here?" He inquired.

Jennifer looked up at him, her eyes still dancing with humor. "Byron just compared your job to herding cats."

The Senator chuckled. "That is a pretty accurate description." He favored Jennifer with his best smile. "It's been a few years since I last saw you and your mother. How is she doing?"

"She is doing well, Sir." She answered. "I was to pass on her regards to you if we crossed paths."

"Good, good. I'll have to remember to look her up next time I'm in New York." He cocked his head slightly and he appeared to study her for a moment. "I hear that your studies have been keeping you very busy this semester."

She nodded. "It's been a bit of a stretch but I'm handling it and things will get a lot easier next semester."

The Senator nodded. "You two have fun." He turned to Byron. "Take the rest of the week off. Spend some time with your girl. See if you can ceep her out of trouble. I'll expect you in the office bright and early Monday morning." Then he turned away and moved into the crowd, shaking hands and patting backs among the well wishers.

Jennifer turned a surprised look on Byron. "He remembered my mom and me."

Byron nodded. "You both made quite an impression on him that day we met." Byron glanced quickly around then continued in a lower voice. "He has been following the stories of the U T Phantom almost as avidly as I have."

Jennifer blushed. "I wondered how much you may have heard about that."

Byron chuckled. "I knew that it had to be you the first time I heard about it." He cocked his head toward The Senator's retreating back. "He's never said so but I'm pretty sure he suspects that you are the phantom." He tilted his head the other way. "He was there that day in the DA's office when I described our first meeting." He paused a moment to look at her then continued. "Does anybody else know?"

Jennifer shrugged. "Shelbe knows. She saw my gray hooded cape the day we moved in and was already aware of my habit of nocturnal rambling the first time she heard the rumors." She chuckled. "She even covered for me a couple of times when the house monitors were on the prowl."

Byron nodded in response. Shelbe had struck him as a bit on the undisciplined side but she seemed to be reliable when it counted. Taking Jennifer's hand he moved into the crowd to share in the party spirit.

~ BnB ~

Thanksgiving

It was around noon when the red Trans Am with silver ghost flames drove along the quiet suburban street on the outskirts of the city. It soon reached a very nice large ranch style house with several cars parked in front. Byron had to work his way into one of the few open spaces left. Once safely parked, in a space that Jennifer would have sworn was too small for the car, Byron turned to face her. "Well here we are." He stated with a smile.

Jennifer looked at the home. It appeared to be much larger than her parent's very upscale brownstone on Central Park West and there was a fairly large yard surrounding it. She looked over at Byron, her expression showing how impressed she was. "Your brother does well for himself."

Byron nodded with a shrug. "Yea, Henry's a very successful business lawyer."

Her brows furrowed. "You're sure they won't mind me intruding on your family holiday?"

"Not at all." He grinned mischievously back. "They're all dying to meet you."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" She looked askance at him. "Just what have you told them about me?"

His only response was to make his eyebrows ride up and down a few times then laughed and opened his door.

"That's what I'm afraid of." She mumbled to herself as he got out of the car.

Byron jogged around the front of the Trans Am to open the passenger door for her. As she exited the car she became aware of the delicious smell of Thanksgiving dinner coming from the house. Together they walked up to the large house. "It's time to face the family." He chuckled. "Relax. At least you should have an easier time of it than I did the night I met your father."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "We'll see." Then she laughed remembering that eventful night.

The door opened just before they reached it and Jennifer was faced with an elegant woman with light brown skin, long black hair and dark chocolate brown eyes.

The woman's face lit up with delight as she pulled him into a hug. "Byron, you made it!" Her gaze shifted to Jennifer. "And this must be the girl we've heard so much about." She reached out and pulled Jennifer into the hug. "Hi, Jennifer." The woman released them both. "My name is Omeara. Welcome to my home."

"It's nice to meet you." Jennifer replied softly, a bit overwhelmed by Omeara's exuberance.

"Come in, Come in." Omeara encouraged as she drew them both by the hand into the house. Byron barely had time to shut the door as she pulled them both down the wide entry hall. The entry hall opened up in to a large airy family room filled with about a dozen people and a lot of babble. As they entered Omeara called out above the general noise. "Hey everyone, Byron and Jennifer are here."

The noise level immediately dropped as Byron and Jennifer became the center of attention. Omeara drew them further into the room stopping in the center of the group.

She took the arm of a tall man that looked very much like a slightly older version of Byron. "This is my husband, Henry." Jennifer knew that he was Byron's oldest brother.

Omeara turned to another couple. He was blond headed and fair skinned but there was still a strong family resemblance. The woman had fair skin, red hair, freckles and a cute girl next door look. "This is George and Leah." (Byron's second oldest brother.)

Omeara turned to a second couple. He was very tanned with light brown hair and a kind of rugged cowboyish good looks. She was just a bit taller than Jennifer, blond and very pretty. She seemed an exude an air of easy self confidence. "This is Rodney and Anna." (Byron's third oldest brother.)

Next she turned to a silver haired couple. "And this is Ben and Edith, Byron's parents." The older couple carried themselves with the same friendly, easy-going self-confidence that seemed to be typical in Byron's family.

There were a few cousins and neighbors to complete the group that filled the room. She also was introduced to the cook and the maid who were apparently also treated as members of the family. The next hour was spent milling with the crowd and exchanging small talk and getting a feel for the various members of Byron's family. Jennifer soon became aware that she was getting a significant share of the attention in the room. Everyone seemed to want to know more about her.

About an hour and a half after arriving Jennifer was standing near the French doors to the back yard talking to Byron's parents. She was telling them about when she and Byron had visited the 9/11 memorial. Omeara came up, opened the door, and called out into the back yard. "Dinner's ready. Come and get it." Then she quickly stepped back from the door.

The next second Jennifer was almost run over by a stampede of children passing through the family room and into the kitchen. After they passed she started to step back into the cleared path. Byron held her back. "Best to wait for a few minutes." It wasn't long before The youngsters came sprinting back out one by one, each carrying a loaded plate and a can of soda. Jennifer glanced up at Byron and he appeared to be counting the kids as they passed. "OK, it's safe now." He remarked as a small girl ran past them. The next minute the gathering reverted back to normal mingling status.

Thirty minutes later Omeara announced that Dinner was served and everyone moved into the large adjacent dining room.

Jennifer had been through plenty of holiday meals with friends and family but nothing came close to this. The dining room contained a large formal dining table and a second decent sized informal table set up in it with room to spare. The food was lined up on a long built-in walnut service that ran nearly the length of the wall. Everything about the room had the feel of rich elegance with just a hint of the Southwest in the details. People started grabbing plates off the tables and were soon loading them up from the impressive buffet. The smell coming from the buffet were heavenly.

Jennifer recognized many of the traditional Thanksgiving fare but there were a few things that were apparently more commonly thought of as Southwest foods. One of the dishes was a very tasty cornbread stuffing that was based on a family recipe that had been passed down, mother to daughter, for several generations. As she headed back to the table carrying her loaded plate, Jennifer was thinking that it was a good thing that her genetics gave her such a high metabolism or she would have gained twenty pounds from this meal alone.

Soon Byron and Jennifer were seated at the formal table between Henry and Omeara on one side, and Rodney and Anna on the other side. Directly across the table from them was Byron's parents, Ben and Edith. On one side of his parents sat George & Leah and on the other sat the neighbors from next door.

The conversation around the table was lively, amusing, and often informative. Jennifer learned that Ben, Henry and Omeara were the primary partners in a business law firm. Jennifer learned that Omeara's family came from Pakistan but Omeara had been born and raised in Dallas, she and Henry had met in India where she had been visiting family and he had been working on a business trip. They had been married four months later. Anna owned a Construction company and Rodney was her foreman. They had apparently married less than a year after he had started working for her. George and Leah owned a high end audio/video store that they called 'Classic Entertainment Systems'. They specialized in installing integrated audio video system and home theaters. They had started out as competitors until they decided to consolidate both their companies and their lives.

It was about halfway through the meal when Henry looked at Jennifer and commented. "We've all heard a lot about you over the last few years." A spark of amusement glinted from his eyes. "You know, we Texans are famous for our tall tales . . ." He glanced at Byron. "And Byron is no slouch in that department . . ." His gaze shifted back to Jennifer. "But Byron has told us stories about you that would be sure to draw out Pecos Bill himself."

Jennifer looked quizzically back at Henry. "Pecos Bill?" She thought she had the gist of what he was saying but she didn't quite get the reference.

Despite the shocked disbelief in the look Henry gave her, the spark of amusement remained. "You've never heard of Pecos Bill?" He glanced around the table as though checking to see if everyone else was as surprised by her question. His voice took on the same type of exaggerated western drawl that she had heard Byron use on her friends at the Chandler Lake a few years back.

"Why little lady, Pecos Bill was the 'Rootenist Tootenist' toughest cowboy on either side of the Pecos River. Once when he was up in Kansas a big storm hit. There were dozens of tornadoes tearing up the countryside. He roped one of those twisters and rode it all the way down to Texas. Any time Bill heard about a particularly tough hombre he showed up to prove he was tougher."

Byron chimed in, grinning. "I'd take Jennifer over Pecos Bill any day."

Henry leaned forward, a strong light of challenge in his eyes. "Prove it."

Byron and Jennifer glanced at each other. Her head was tilted and her eyes sparkled with the hint of a dare as she responded. "You name the challenge." Then they both looked at Henry.

Henry shot back. "Tug-o-war."

Byron looked over at Jennifer. "You've got the strength but it also takes mass." He raised his eyebrow.

She shrugged. "I think I can handle it if you will back me up."

Byron faced Henry and leaned forward. "All right. After dinner ... a tug-o-war ... Jennifer and me against all three of you losers." He winked at Jennifer. She winked back with a wicked grin.

Henry glanced at the other two brothers. They too held a hint of challenge in their eyes. He turned back to Byron. "You're on." He responded.

There were a few more good natured jibes over the challenge then the dinner conversation moved on to other subjects..

**_ Continued in Part 6_**

* * *

><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


	6. Chapter 6

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

The rope for the family tug-o-war was lying on the ground near the large tree that seemed to dominate the back yard. The three older brothers picked up one end of the rope. George took the front, Henry second, and Rodney, the largest and strongest in the back. Jennifer picked up the other side at about the same distance from the center of the rope as George. Byron picked up the end of the rope. He had adopted a rather lackadaisical attitude as he stood holding the end loosely in one hand and there was enough slack between him and Jennifer that it sagged halfway to the ground.

Omeara announced the rules. "The contest ends when any one of the participants is pulled past the tree." She then glared half playfully at Henry. "And suddenly letting go of the rope disqualifies the perpetrators and will result in a severe scolding."

That final line produced guilty shrugs from Henry and George, a curious glance from Jennifer, and a knowing laugh from everyone else present.

Henry smirked. "You'll need a better grip than that little brother if you want to have even a snowball's chance."

"He's just here so that you won't feel as bad when I beat you three." Jennifer retorted.

Henry laughed. "Pride goes before the fall." He tilted his head with a smirk. "Are you ready?"

Byron shrugged. "You ready Honey?"

Jennifer snorted. "Let's do it."

Omeara raised one eyebrow at Byron and Jennifer in disbelief for a second then she shrugged, raised her hand, and called out. "One . . . Two . . . Three . . ." Her hand dropped. "Go!"

The rope went taught and Jennifer began sliding forward as she worked to dig her heals into the ground. The rest of the people were yelling, cheering on the participants.

Still loosely holding his end of the rope, Byron called out. "You need any help?"

Gritting her teeth, Jennifer replied. "No, I've got this." At that moment her heel caught on a tree root that just barely broke the surface. Taking advantage of the unexpected anchor Jennifer dug in harder, stopping her forward slide.

For a few moments things seemed to have reached a stalemate. The spectators looked on in amazement as Jennifer stubbornly held her own against all three of Byron's older brothers. Every muscle and tendon was straining as she turned her head slightly toward Byron and ground out through gritted teeth. "I . . . think . . . I could . . . use . . . some help . . . here."

Byron nodded with a grin, got a good two handed grip on the end of the rope, and pulled it taught. Then he leaned into it, adding all his strength to Jennifer's. The rope began shifting slowly toward their side. Unable to give up the anchor of the tree root, Jennifer began to slowly work her way hand-over-hand along the rope as Byron moved slowly backwards.

Despite their best efforts the three oldest brothers continued to slowly lose ground. Then suddenly it was all over as George was pulled past the trunk of the tree to the surprised cheers of the spectators. The participants collapsed to the ground as cool drinks were passed around.

After the tug-o-war contest was over the children were soon engaged in a very energetic game of tag. It wasn't long before some of the adults (including Byron) were taking part as well. Jennifer had settled next to Byron's parents. Edith regaled her with tales of Byron as a child. Most of them were humorous tales about how his very adventurous spirit led him into trouble. It seemed that he was forever trying to keep up with his older brothers. They also talked a bit about what happened to him at the zoo.

"I know about the incident but he doesn't like to talk about it." Jennifer remarked.

"I'm not surprised. That was a very hard time for him." Edith responded, a hint of remembered sorrow crossed her face. "He was so little and in so much pain. Because of his age the doctors were unwilling to give him strong pain killers and the infection only made it worse. The infection also turned out to be resistant to most of the antibiotics that they tried. He got so sick that we thought we were going to lose him a couple of times." Again the pained look crossed her face. "His recovery was so agonizingly slow." She sighed. "It was hard on all of us." She glanced over at the tag game. "Henry spent every free moment at Byron's bed side. He and Byron have always been as close as any brothers I've ever seen."

"I knew it was bad, I've seen the scars, but I never realized it had been that bad." She looked over at Byron as he chased after one of his young nephews. Deep sympathy filled her gaze.

Edith nodded, also watching Byron. "To this day he won't go near the lion section of the zoo and he will not watch anything that has lions or tigers in it."

"He's watched "Cats" all the way through recently." Jennifer reported. "He was very proud of himself when he told me."

Ben looked over at Jennifer in surprise. "I never would have thought it possible." His eyes narrowed. "I suspect that this has something to do with you."

Jennifer shrugged choosing her words carefully. "Let's just say that I have a fondness for large cats and he feels like he should conquer his fear for my sake." She paused a moment. "I've never . . ." She paused a moment. "He accepts me as I am with all my strangeness . . . how could I do any less for him. Yet he insists on trying to change for me . . . to conquer this fear of his."

"It's because he cares so much for you." Edith responded. "Now that I've met you, I understand what he sees in you." She nodded at the others running around the yard. "We all do. All three of his brothers think you're great."

Ben chimed in. "Hey don't leave me out of this. I happen to think you're perfect for him."

Jennifer looked back at them with a hint of surprise. "Really? Despite the fact that I'm a bit of a freak?"

Edith chuckled. "That's what we like most about you. You're unique . . . special." She winked and grinned as she laid her hand on Jennifer's forearm. "That and the way you two look at each other when you think no one is watching."

"That's for sure." Omeara remarked as she approached from behind them. He passed out cool drinks to all of them then crouched down next to Jennifer. "In the the time that I've been a part of this family, I've never seen him as hapy as he's been this last year."

Byron ran past them with a determined eight year old giggling girl hot on his heels.

Omeara leaned in speaking softly. "By the way, I've been dying to ask you . . . We've been hearing the stories about the UT Phantom and the descriptions sound just like Byron's description of the way you appeared the first time he met you." She paused, glancing around. "Is that you?"

Jennifer looked around and saw that Ben and Edith were both leaning in to hear her answer. With a sigh she responded. "Yea, that was me."

Ben slapped the ground. "I knew it." He turned to Edith in triumph. "I told you it had to be her." He grinned at Jennifer and pointed to the pendent that Byron had given her. "That necklace he had made is perfect for you."

Edith placed her hand on Jennifer's nervously fidgeting hand. "Just be careful when you're out playing superhero. Byron would be so upset if you were to get yourself hurt."

Jennifer blushed. "It's not something I did intentionally. I'm not some superhero want-to-be." Jennifer shook her head with a sigh. "It's just that when I see someone in trouble I have to try to help."

Edith squeezed her hand. "Don't you see, dear? That's what a hero is . . . someone who steps in to help when it's needed. We have all heard about what happened in that bank robbery during your first week here. You and your sisters were there and you had the ability to do what others couldn't, so you all stepped in and did what needed to be done." She touched the pendant and smiled at Jennifer. "That necklace Byron gave you really is you. I think there is a lot more to you than even you realize. You're stronger and faster than the average person; you have that hooded cape that you've been seen in; and you use your abilities to step in to help others in need" she shrugged

Omeara spoke up. "And taking into account your, ahhh, abilities . . ." She chuckled. "You may not be Wonder Woman, but when you consider the classic definition of a superhero . . . calling you a superhero isn't really all that much of a stretch."

Omeara calling her a superhero embarrassed her but at the same time it gave Jennifer tiny spark of pride that they actually thought of her that way. It also gave her a warm feeling, knowing that Byron's family accepted and liked her in spite of her oddities. For a moment she found herself wondering if that would remain true if they knew about her father and brothers then dismissed that thought from her mind. For now she just wanted to bask in the feeling of acceptance.

Their conversation soon moved on to other subjects.

~ o ~

Around four o'clock Henry called out that it was time for the annual family touch football tournament. When they were gathered by the tree Henry announced that it was time to choose up sides. Omeara insisted strongly that it should the boys versus the girls. After a short discussion Omeara got her way. Those not actively playing (mostly the children) were given cheerleader duty.

~ o ~

By halftime the score was girls 24 to boys 6 and the boys had the ball. The guys had figured out that the only chance they had was to triple-team Jennifer.

Breathing hard Henry draped his arm over Byron's shoulders in the huddle. "You know little brother you've got yourself a hundred percent, grade A, hot little freak on your hands." He released a short snort of a laugh. "Definitely a keeper."

Byron smiled, mostly to himself, as he glanced over at the girls. "I know."

Henry chuckled. "If I didn't already have Omeara to keep me in line I'd be asking you if she had a sister like her."

Byron grinned back at him. "You know that she has two sisters and they're both just like Jennifer."

"Yea. I heard about the bank incident. Very impressive." His admiration was clearly displayed in his expression.

"But they're both way too young for you." Byron playfully punched brother in the side. "Besides, we both know that you wouldn't trade Omeara for any other woman . . . even another one like Jennifer."

Henry glanced over at the group of women as they broke from their huddle. His glance paused on Jennifer for a moment then zeroed in on Omeara. "Yea, you got a point there." He looked back at Byron and gave him a friendly nudge. "Still, You're one lucky son of a gun." Then they lined up and little ten year old Craig prepared to center the ball.

~ o ~

By the end of the game the score was girls 30 to boys 18. There was a lot of laughing and kidding as the tired warriors made their way into the house. Everyone relaxed as deserts and sweets were passed around. The events of the day were discussed amidst laughter and a lot of ribbing of each other. Jennifer was very aware that everyone was treating her like just another member of the family including her fair share of teasing about her unique abilities. It gave her a warm happy feeling.

It seemed like no time at all before the party began to break up. Soon it was just Henry, Omeara, Ben, Edith, Byron and Jennifer gathered at the open front door. Henry and Omeara's three children had been put to bed an hour ago.

Omeara was speaking. "It was great having you over, Jennifer." She leaned in and continued in a slightly reduced voice. "And it was fun watching you put the boys in their place." She and Edith both chuckled then Omeara continued in a more normal voice. "Don't you be a stranger now."

Edith nodded and added her thoughts. "You're practically one of us and we expect to see more of you now."

Henry jumped in. "I agree. If you ever need anything don't hesitate to call." He shifted his attention to Byron. "And you, baby brother, you're welcome to bring Jennifer by anytime."

"Thank you. I had a great time." Jennifer responded. "You made me feel like just another member of the family and I really appreciate that."

"What are your plans for Christmas?" Ben inquired.

Byron replied. "Jennifer's mother has invited me to come spend Christmas with her family."

Edith remarked. "I hope you have a good time then."

"So do I." Byron replied. In his own thoughts he added '_That'll take a small miracle._'

After exchanging a round of goodbyes Byron and Jennifer headed to his car while Ben and Edith left in their new Mercedes. Omeara waved goodbye as they pulled away then closed the door as they turned at the end of the block.

~ BnB ~

It was early afternoon on Friday, a week after Thanksgiving, and Byron was in the passenger seat of a car Jennifer had rented for the weekend. The Senator always insisted that everyone be out of the office by noon on Fridays between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Jennifer had announced, out of the blue, that he had a date with her today and that she would pick him up at his work as soon as he got off.

They had first stopped at Byron's favorite 'Tex-Mex' restaurant for lunch, during which she steadfastly avoided the subject of what she had in mind for the rest of the day. Now they were heading west through downtown on the way to the next destination.

"So where are we going, now?" He inquired curiously as they passed the capital building.

"I told you, it's a surprise." She responded with a glint of amusement mixed with a hint of determination in her eyes.

Byron shrugged his surrender and returned his attention to the passing scenery.

Ten minutes later he thought they were heading to Barton Springs until Jennifer drove right past it and turned south onto highway 1. Now he was totally confused.

Fifteen minutes later she pulled into a parking lot and Byron's heart rate immediately jumped way up. He had heard of this place. The words he read on the sign at the entrance seemed to radiate dread. "**Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary**". This wasn't your typical zoo with the animals safely behind bars. This was a sanctuary with the animals loose, out in open ground.

**_ Continued in Part 7_**

* * *

><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


	7. Chapter 7

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Byron fought to contain his fear as he glanced around at the nearly empty parking lot. He wondered worriedly just what Jennifer had planned for him. He couldn't bring himself to go near a lion in a cage; how could he possibly face a lion on open ground. He glanced over at her and she appeared totally unconcerned.

Jennifer parked the car then commented. "The place is closed today but I talked to your senator friend and he pulled a few strings for me." She stepped out of the car and stood by the front waiting for him.

How had she talked The Senator into this? The Senator was aware of what had happened to Byron. A nephew of the Senator had been on the same class trip as Byron and witnessed the entire incident. He clearly remembered The Senator's words to him the first time they met. "Byron, I know you are a year behind in you education and therefore not eligible for the internship in my office. I also happen to know about your history. . ." His eyes had glanced down knowingly at Byron's chest. ". . . and I know about your keen interest in politics." He paused theatrically. "I think that you deserve a break for a change. So I've decided to give you the internship anyway. So The Senator had taken him on as his intern and had mentored him. Now he had helped send Byron, literally, into the lion's den."

Byron shook those thoughts from his head and looked around nervously. There was no one else in sight and only a few cars in the parking lot. He looked back at Jennifer and swallowed a couple of times. It was only by concentrating on her face that he was able open the car door. He knew that if he looked away from her, for even a moment, his nerve would break and he would be stuck in that car. Slowly he eased his way out of the car and closed the door.

She was beside him holding his hand before he realized that she had moved. Then they were walking toward the animal sanctuary entrance.

At the entrance Byron's gaze locked onto the sign and he stopped moving. His heart was pounding and he was frozen just like all those disastrous attempts at the zoo. Jennifer reached her free hand up to the side of his face and drew his gaze back to her. She then pulled him forward. His inability to resist her overcame his inability to move forward and they passed through the entrance to the animal sanctuary.

He spotted the sign marking the way to the lion area and his heart rate again shot up but then he realized that she was leading him away from it. He looked back at her to see her smiling encouragingly at him. If she wasn't trying to take him to the lions then where was she leading him?

As they got further from that lion area sign and his heart rate slowly returned to near normal, he became more aware of the rest of his surroundings and of Jennifer's proximity. She had a firm hold of his hand and a confident smile on her face.

He was a bit surprised when She stopped and he became aware that they were standing in front of a metal back door of some unidentified building. She pressed a button that was labeled 'RING FOR ACCESS'.

A few seconds later a man in a white lab coat opened the door and smiled at them and addressed Jennifer. "You must be Jennifer. I'm Doctor Mike Hammond." His look settled on Byron. "And this must be Bryan." He stepped back. "Come in. We've been expecting you." He led them down a corridor while speaking over his shoulder. "Your timing is perfect." He opened a door and gestured them through it.

The room they entered reminded Byron of a cross between a laboratory and a doctor's office. There were two other people in lab coats standing in the room and smiling back at Byron and Jennifer. "These are my two assistants, Susan and John." He informed them then pointed to two relatively comfortable looking chairs. "Have a seat and we'll get started."

As Jennifer and Byron sat down the two assistants left the room. Byron looked over at Jennifer curiously. "What exactly have you dragged me into here?"

Jennifer merely smiled back. "I told you, it's a surprise."

The two assistants returned carrying small furry bundles and approached Byron and Jennifer.

Doctor Hammond began speaking to Byron and Jennifer as the assistants handed each of them one of the bundles. "Be careful with them they are a very rare species."

Byron looked down to find himself holding a small lion cub. He felt a surge of nervous concern. Before he could say anything John had handed him a baby bottle and was instructing him in the proper way to feed the cub. As the tiny lion suckled from the bottle Byron was soon captivated by the innocent trust in that pair of large brown eyes. He had soon relaxed and even smiled as he took in the details of the cub in his care.

Byron and Jennifer looked up at Doctor Hammond as he began talking. "Those are Barbary Lion cubs. The Barbary Lions are the largest of all the lion family. Usually when you see a lion in the movies, it is a Barbary Lion. They are also currently extinct in the wild. This Sanctuary is one of the few places where they can still be found.

Byron looked over at Jennifer and caught her smiling back at him. There was a glimmer of wistfulness in her eyes and her warm, almost dreamy, smile. The message seemed to him to be pretty clear. He studied the sight of her holding the infant lion, letting the image soak in. According to Jennifer, they didn't really know how much of Vincent's genetics she might carry and possibly pass on. Could she be giving him a glimpse of their future? He looked back down at the cub he was holding and imagined that it was their child. Then he looked over at Jennifer and the warm rush he felt surprised him as he realize that the idea didn't really bother him. The smile he then turned on Jennifer was full of love and promise and understanding. Her smile jumped in intensity, beaming back her joy at his reaction.

Byron looked back down again at the cub in his arms. Suddenly the prospects for their future seemed a lot brighter. He may not be able to walk into the lion's den but **this** he could handle.

~ BnB ~

**Christmas**

Byron stepped off the plane with the rest of the Christmas Eve holiday crowd and was swept along up the jetway in the crush. Jennifer had flown back home four days ago. He was already missing her and looking forward to meeting her in the airport. The crowd reached the public area and spread out as they were embraced by waiting family members. Byron glanced around at the sea of happy humanity without spotting a single familiar face. He began to wonder if there had been some kind of mistake. He had originally planned on taking the morning flight but it had been booked up and he had been forced to take the afternoon flight instead. Had they got the the flight wrong?

The next moment he found himself enclosed in a very enthusiastic hug. "I'm so glad you're here." Jennifer exclaimed. "The traffic was so bad, I didn't think I was going to make it in time." Then they were kissing.

They were brought back to earth by the sound of the clearing of a throat.

Byron looked over at the source of the sound and experienced a moment of disorientation. The pretty young woman he saw was a total stranger to him yet there was a déjà vu like something very familiar about her. His next impression was that he was looking at a much younger imperfect copy of Catherine Chandler. Her eyes were the same bright green but her paler skin and bright red hair was that of a true redhead whereas Catherine had more of a light cinnamon brown hair with a ruddier skin tone.

"Ah, Byron," Jennifer interrupted his confused state. "This is my sister-in-law, Linda. She's married to Jacob."

Linda held out her hand, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Jen has told me a lot about you . . ." The corner of her mouth quirked with humor. "Relentlessly. It's nice to finally meet you in person."

"I've heard some interesting stories about you as well, ma'am." Byron replied as he doffed his cowboy hat, took her hand and gave it a quick gentle kiss.

Linda's eyes sparkled as she remarked. "You were right, Jen, he is a real charmer."

Jennifer laughed. "Well you just remember that you've already got Jacob and, ah, you know what. This one is mine."

Both girls giggled as they all turned and headed toward the baggage area.

While waiting for his suitcase to appear Byron noticed that there seemed to be a sort of undercurrent of something going on between Linda and Jennifer. Both girls seemed to be nearly bouncing with a barely concealed excitement. Finally as they were leaving the terminal building he inquired about it.

"What's going on with you two?" He cocked his head. "You look like a couple of school girls that have just shared a juicy secret."

They looked at each other then both broke out in more giggles. Finally Jennifer responded. "We just found out this morning that Linda is pregnant. Jake and Linda are going to have a baby!" Linda was grinning wide enough to split her head in half. Jennifer continued. "You should have seen Jake when he heard the news. His happiness was so strong the emotion nearly overwhelmed both of us."

Linda chuckled then remarked. "Jacob was so overjoyed by the news that I could feel the joy rolling off him in waves. It's the best Christmas present that we could possibly have given each other."

Byron looked at Linda quizzically. Jennifer saw the look and explained. "Linda and Jake are linked . . . sorta like the link he and I have only much, much stronger." She smiled at Linda. "As mother would say, their souls have been bonded together practically since the day that they met under the rubble of the twin towers." She leaned into Byron. "Sometimes I envy them that bond."

They arrived at a black BMW that Byron hadn't seen before. Linda unlocked it and indicated that they should get in then climbed into the driver's seat. A few minutes later they pulled out of the airport and onto the highway.

The subject of conversation had come back around to Linda's pregnancy and genetics. "Do they have any idea how much of the father's features your baby will inherit?" Byron inquired.

"They suspect that my baby could inherit a fair share of its father's features. They still don't really know all that much about Father's genetics. I mean Jennifer and her two sisters don't look anything like Vincent, except a little around the eyes and a few aspects that are not obvious by outward appearance. They think it may be tied to the sex of the child but that is just guesswork." She shrugged. "It all depends on the luck of the draw."

"So there's a significant chance that the baby could look a lot like it's Father?"

"Oh I hope so." Linda responded. "I'm personally hoping for a boy that looks just like Jacob."

"What if it's a girl?" Byron asked. He really was curious.

Linda shrugged. "I've often wondered about that. My dad is a bit unsure but I think a leonine girl could be totally adorable. Only time will tell. Either way he or she will grow up loved and will learn to be proud of its heritage"

Conversation moved on to other subjects as they found themselves in the heavy last minute shopper's traffic. Byron however was mulling over what Linda had said and found himself remembering the image of Jennifer feeding the lion cub in the animal sanctuary. He thought about his own feelings and reactions to the possibility.

Eventually Linda pulled up to the familiar Brownstone home across from Central Park. Byron was aware of a definite edge of nervous concern within him but no real outright fear like the last time he was here. He had been aware of a change in himself ever since that visit to the animal sanctuary. Just maybe, Byron thought, he would be able to make it through this yet without making a fool of himself.

Jennifer, with her parent's curious approval, had invited Byron to stay at the brownstone during the week he would be in New York. She had also reserved a room in a nearby hotel just in case it turned out to be more than he could handle. Byron saw it as a sort of acid test.

Byron took a deep breath as they reached the front door. Jennifer pressed the doorbell three times quickly then paused before unlocking and opening the door. Byron realized that this kind of caution would have to become second nature when there was someone like Vincent and his sons living here. Would he one day have to live with this same type of cautious life style with Jennifer?

They entered the home and Jennifer firmly closed the door behind them. Byron glanced around a bit apprehensively at the place he had only seen the inside of a few times before. The first thing he noticed was the beautiful Christmas tree set next to the spiral staircase. The tree dominated the room.

Jacob entered the room from somewhere in the back and Linda rushed into his embrace. The unusual looking couple exchanged a quick kiss then they both faced Byron and Jennifer. Byron was surprised to realize that, although the nervous concern had increased slightly at Jacob's appearance, there was no evidence of the expected fear. He felt a wave of relief sweep through him. At least he didn't feel like he was in danger of wetting himself in fear this time. He stepped away from Jennifer's comforting presence and approached Jacob alone. He was momentarily amazed that he was actually able to approach Jacob without any outside urging.

With just a hint of trepidation Byron held out his hand toward Jacob and spoke in a voice that remained steady and calm. "It's good to see you again . . ." His eyebrows went up slightly. ". . . really." He kept his gaze steady on Jacob's face.

A small smile spread across Jacob's face as he reached out to clasp Byron's hand. "It's good to see you again too, Byron. I can see that you've come a long way since I last saw you."

His smile widened slightly and Byron saw the tips of what were apparently fangs peek out. He felt a shiver of alarm run up his back but he kept his gaze and his grip steady and certain.

Jacob nodded his eyes glittering with approval. "Yes, I can see that you have come much further than any of us would have thought considering the circumstances. Welcome to the family home." Byron was not even aware that Jennifer had come up from behind him until he felt her arm go around his waist. He glanced over into her smiling eyes as Jacob continued to speak. "I think you've found yourself a good one here, Jen."

Jennifer's smile got even wider. "I know."

Byron glanced around then enquired. "Where is everyone else?"

"Charles and Elizabeth are upstairs in the library trying to wipe each other out playing some violent video game." At that point Byron became aware of the faint sounds of simulated gunfire wafting down from the circular stairs as Jacob continued speaking. "Mom and Joe are both at work dealing with some kind of legal tangle that came up this morning. Sammy and the girls are out doing some last minute shopping." He paused for a moment then continued. "The rest should be filtering in over the next two hours for Christmas Eve Dinner."

At that moment a screech was heard from the direction of the spiral staircase followed by a very aggrieved complaint. "You rat!" The indignant female voice exclaimed. "That was mine."

"You snooze you lose." Responded a male voice. "And I'm a cat, not a rat." The male voice continued in a rather haughty tone.

"You're a mangy ammo stealing beast is what you are just like your brother." The female voice retorted.

Byron glanced uncertainly at Jacob, curious about his reaction to the words they had just heard.

"And don't you forget it." Came the male reply.

"You just wait, I'll get you yet!"

Jacob looked toward the stairs and chuckled. "Sounds like the competition is getting pretty fierce up there."

**_ Continued in Part 8_**

* * *

><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


	8. Chapter 8

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Another screech of outrage was heard from the stairway followed by more insults exchanged.

Linda laughed shaking her head. "Yea, Charles and Elizabeth are two of the most competitive people I've ever met." She grinned. "You'd never guess from their rhetoric," She nodded toward the stairway. "that they were very much in love and already bonded to each other."

Jacob jumped in "No one was really surprised when they first announced their intention to marry, even if they were only sixteen at the time. And any wedding would be years away."

Jennifer took up the story. "Elizabeth is in her first year of college now. She and Charles plan to marry right after she graduates from NYU then she intends to go to Columbia to get her law degree."

They were all distracted by the sound of a door and excited voices coming from the back of the house. A few seconds later four chattering and laughing women loaded with packages entered the parlor. Byron recognized Nancy, Brigit and Samantha (Sammy) but the fourth woman was unfamiliar to him. His eye was drawn to Sammy who was in a red dress trimmed in short white fur and put Byron in mind of a young Mrs. Santa Claus.

Sammy was the first to notice the new guest in the house. "Byron! You're here!" She exclaimed as she glanced from Byron to Jacob then back to Byron. She dropped her packages on the sofa and gave him a quick hug. "It's great to see you again."

As the other three now became aware of Byron's presence, he noticed that their first reaction was also to glace back and forth in surprise between Byron and Jacob.

Nancy then stepped up and smiled. "Hello, Byron." She indicated the unknown blond standing next to her. "Byron, this is our oldest sister, Naomi. She got in from Washington DC yesterday

Byron could see no family resemblance what-so-ever between Naomi and the rest of Jennifer's family. "I've heard your name mentioned but not much about you." He cocked his head. "Glad to finally meet you."

Brigit jumped in at this point. "Naomi is sort the token normal in this family of freaks."

Byron's face took on a quizzical look glancing back and forth between Brigit and Naomi. Nancy elbowed Brigit in the ribs. "Brigit!"

Naomi spoke up for herself. "What my sister means is that I'm adopted. I was five when a bad car crash killed the rest of my family. We were being chased by several very bad people. I was thrown from the car as it flipped and Vincent caught me. Catherine and Vincent took me in and hid me. Later the Witness Protection people arranged for Catherine to adopt me - - they didn't know anything about Vincent back then." She grinned at her adopted siblings. "That's why I'm the only normal one of the bunch." Byron nodded as she took his hand in greeting then she pulled him into a quick hug. "Welcome to the strangest household on the planet." She finished with a grin.

Nancy again jumped in. "Naomi flew in from Washington DC late last night. She is just finishing her first year as a field agent with the FBI - - The youngest person ever to do so." The pride in her sister's accomplishment was evident on Nancy's face.

"Congratulations." Byron remarked then a thought occurred to him. "You said that the FBI didn't know about Vincent 'back then'. Does that mean that they do know about him now?"

Naomi shook her head. "No, not really. The only one that knows about Vincent is the head of the New York Field office. He was the one that arranged the adoption. He finally met Vincent about a year after that." She chuckled. "Shortly after that he married Jenny, Mom's best friend." She smiled. "We all think of him as 'Uncle James'. He and Jenny will probably drop by some time tomorrow." She paused and a smile played across her face. "Although . . ."

Nancy jumped on her unfinished last statement. "Although what exactly?"

"Wellll . . ." Naomi's cheeks developed a tinge of pink. "There is this . . . other agent that I have been kinda interested in lately."

"What?" Nancy, Brigit, Jennifer and Linda all exclaimed simultaneously. Then the girls were throwing out questions practically on each other's heels. "Who is it?" Jennifer asked . . . "Why haven't you told us?" Brigit asked . . . "How long has this been going on?" Nancy asked . . . "How serious is it?" Linda asked . . . "What's he like?" Brigit asked . . .

"Hold it, hold it." Naomi responded with a laugh. "His name is William Cartwright. He is nice, funny . . . good looking . . . and we've only been, ahh, going together for about a month. But I do like him a lot." Her blush deepened slightly.

"You'll have to give us the whole scoop on him later." Sammy jumped in at this point. "But for now, let's get these packages under the tree." She grinned. "There will be plenty of time for family gossip later."

With a few comments of acknowledgement, the four women proceeded to arrange the packages that they had carried in under the tree. Then they were alerted by three rings of the doorbell. Jacob quickly stepped just out of direct line of sight of the front door just as it swung open. District Attorney Joe Maxwell and Catherine both stepped into the front parlor, calling out greetings.

Jacob stepped out from behind the tree and over next to Byron and Jennifer. Both Joe and Catherine exhibited surprise at the sight Jacob standing next to an apparently unconcerned Byron. Catherine smiled. "Byron, have you . . ."

"No, not completely." Byron shrugged. "The phobia is still there but I seem to have conquered it somewhat as far as your family is concerned. I still can't bring myself to enter the large cat section of the zoo. And there are a few movies with lions or tigers that I still can't sit through. Other than that I have managed to gain some control over my fears."

"That's still a very impressive accomplishment." Joe commented then stepped into Sammy's willing embrace. After a quick kiss he inquired. "Where's Lizzie?"

Sammy chuckled and nodded toward the spiral staircase where faint sounds of gunfire could be heard. "Where do you expect. She and Charles are upstairs trying to kill each other on some video game." Her pronouncement was punctuated by a spate of insults and threats coming from upstairs.

Joe laughed. "You'd never guess that they were in love based on that." He shook his head then gave his wife another quick kiss.

"How did it go at work?" Jacob inquired. He had already picked up a hint of annoyance from both his mother and Joe.

Catherine snorted. "Biggest waste of time I've ever seen."

Joe continued. "The Defense lawyers threw up a bunch of groundless nuisance motions and we had to respond to them."

Catherine finished. "They were hoping that we would ignore them during the holidays and be surprised by a fait-accompli leaving us in a bad legal position the next time we saw them." She grinned. "We found out about it and now they are the ones that will be surprised."

The door bell rang once. Catherine went to the door looked through the peephole then announced. "It's Dennis and Diana." Then she opened the door. "Come on in."

A nice looking sandy haired man accompanied by an equally good looking woman entered the room. Byron noticed that the woman was the same height and build as Catherine. Her hair was almost the same color as Catherine's except that it was a shade redder. Then his attention was captured by the man's eyes. They were the exact same color as Jennifer and Vincent.

The woman pulled a holster with a pistol in it from behind her back. "Cathy can I, ah . . ."

"Oh, sure. You know where it is." Catherine responded.

Diana went over to the coat closet by the front door. She opened a small safe on the top shelf and placed the gun in it. She closed it and turned to face them. "I just came from the police station where I was booking in my latest collar. Fortunately we got him before he could harm the kid."

Catherine nodded. "That's good. I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to come. I know how you are when you're on a case. Are Aaron and Lynn going to be coming?"

Diana replied with head shake and a grin. "Aaron is out spending Christmas Eve with his current girlfriend." She glanced over at Byron then continued. "You know how close Lynn is with Jennifer and 'Father'." She shrugged. "You know he's getting up there in years and his health hasn't been so good lately. She just wants to spend more time with both of them."

Catherine nodded her understanding.

The Senator had taught Byron a lot about reading the nuances in words and body language in order to read between the words and discern what was not said. For one thing there was something about the way she had spoken and the way she glanced his way. He was sure that they were being circumspect about something but he wasn't sure exactly what it might be. He also wondered who this other Jennifer she had mentioned was.

Catherine escorted the new couple over to where everyone else was standing then addressed Byron. "This is Vincent's half brother Dennis McCormick and his wife Diana." She turned to the newcomers. "This is Byron Wyatt. He's visiting us for Christmas."

As before, they both glanced uncertainly between Byron and Jacob before schooling their expressions and exchanging greetings. Byron couldn't help snickering this time at what seemed to be everyone's reaction to his reaction to Jacob.

Everyone was soon talking about their day when Byron leaned close to Jennifer and quietly inquired. "Who is this Jennifer and Father that Diana mentioned?"

"Jennifer is Dennis and Vincent's birth mother. I was named after her. 'Father' is what everyone calls Jacob Wells. He was the one that took in Vincent as an infant and raised him. Jake was named after him."

Byron merely nodded then he was distracted by the arrival of Vincent from somewhere behind the kitchen. He felt a surge of nervousness at Vincent's appearance but it was nowhere near as strong as he had feared. As Vincent approached Byron became aware of all the eyes turned to himself.

Vincent seemed to study Byron for a moment then held out his hand. "I'm glad you came."

Byron glanced down at the furry clawed hand and felt a quick flash of fear that he quickly suppressed then took it. "I'm glad I came, too." He was able to look up into Vincent's eyes. "It is good to see you again, sir." He had come a long way but he still wasn't where he wanted to be yet. His fear was controllable but it was not gone.

Vincent smiled in response. Byron also thought he saw a hint of approval in his eyes.

Catherine's cell phone rang. After a short conversation, she put it away and announced loudly. "Everybody, the caterers are here." She turned to Vincent and Jacob. "You boys better make yourselves scarce."

Vincent and Jacob headed up the stairs as Catherine headed to the front door.

A minute later Catherine opened the door and five people trouped in carrying all types of containers.

As the caterers worked at setting up the evening's feast, he contemplated his reaction to Vincent and sons. He suspected that he was having an easier time of it because he was beginning to see them more as people and less as creatures. However he still could not completely get past their physical appearance. Hopefully soon . . .

In less than ten minutes the caterers had set up an impressive portable buffet loaded with a wide variety of delicious dishes. The young woman that seemed to be directing the operation then sent the other four people away. As the young woman double checked everything Linda shouted upstairs that the coast was clear.

Vincent, Jacob, Charles and Elizabeth all filed downstairs into the dining room.

The young woman barely glanced at the three leonine males as she continued to adjust everything until she was satisfied. Then she stood proudly behind the buffet and announced that dinner was served. As the guests grabbed their plates she continued to serve them in a friendly professional manor, totally unfazed by the appearance of the leonine males. She also seemed to know the culinary preferences of most of the guests. Byron learned that the woman's name was Roxanne and had known Vincent most of her life.

The excellent food, the warm atmosphere, and the fascinating conversation, all served to make the evening a very pleasant experience.

Though they were circumspect about some subjects, Byron was able to conclude a few interesting things from unintentional hints and even from the way that some things were left unsaid in the general conversation. - - There was a fairly sizable hidden community that protected and raised Vincent. Sammy and Roxanne had grown up in that same hidden place that Vincent had grown up in. Roxanne owned the catering company and learned to cook from another member of Vincent's hidden community named William. Joe Maxwell had learned about Vincent and this hidden community after meeting Sammy. He also came to the conclusion that this hidden place was located underground. He also caught one reference to something called Winterfest before the subject was quickly changed. He kept all of his conclusions to himself to think about later.

After the dinner was over, Vincent and his sons retired upstairs while the four other catering employees returned to clean up the remains of their Christmas Eve Banquet. As soon as the cleanup was finished the catering crew left. Roxanne left shortly after the rest of her crew but not before wishing the entire family a Merry Christmas.

~ o ~

It was getting late and the guests were getting ready to leave for the night. Joe, Sammy and Elizabeth were the first to leave, followed by Dennis and Diana ten minutes later. Naomi would be stay in the family home for two more days before heading back to Washington. The other's trickled up the stairs until only Catherine, Jennifer and Byron were left in the parlor. That was when Catherine approached Byron. "I've reserved a room for you at a hotel that is very close by . . . but we would be more than happy to have you stay here if you're interested."

Byron had not been expecting this. Jennifer had originally extended the invitation to stay at the family brownstone and Catherine was aware of it but she was phrasing it in a way to give him an easy out if he was unable to handle staying under the same roof as Vincent and his sons. To Byron, this was the final hurdle. His fear had not been near as bad as he had expected and he had managed to keep his cool during the long evening but the fear, though less than expected, was under control but still there. There was a possibility that he would never be truly free of it and he knew that he was not fooling anyone. After all you couldn't really fool a family of empaths. They knew of the effort it took for him to contain the fear and maintain his calm demeanor. Could he do it? Could he hold it together for seven whole days and nights?

With a quiet surge of determination he accepted the invitation to stay at the brownstone. Catherine suggested that Jennifer show him to his room.

**_ Continued in Part 9_**

* * *

><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


	9. Chapter 9

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

His first night in Jennifer's family home had been a restless affair. He was aware of the presence of Vincent and Charles and it made it hard to relax enough to fall asleep. He was also acutely aware that Jennifer was sleeping in the room next to his. He finally dropped off some time after two in the morning. He awoke to the sound of someone knocking on his door then Jennifer's voice calling to him.

"Wake up, sleepyhead – it's Christmas morning and we're all waiting for you so we can open the presents." She paused a second then knocked again. "Hey, are you still alive in there?" A pause and another knock. "Hey Byron, are you awake yet?"

After a few moments to clear some of the cobwebs from his brain he finally responded. "I'm awake, I'm awake. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"OK." She responded then after a moment she added. "Dress code for the official present unwrapping is strictly early morning PJ casual.

A couple of minutes later Byron came down in a comfortable warm-up suit and bathrobe. He had felt a little too exposed in just his usual boxers. The tree glittered with the festive lights as the parlor was filled with Christmas music from the stereo system.

One of the first things that caught Byron's eye was Vincent standing by the fireplace. He had on a dark grey robe and under that he was wearing blue flannel pajamas covered with little white snowmen. The image was so incongruous that Byron had to smother a laugh.

Vincent had obviously sensed his amusement and looked down at himself then shrugged. "Catherine gave this to me. She said that I look cute." He chuckled. "Anything to keep our women happy."

Byron could only smile and nod in agreement. Though Vincent was still an imposing figure his attire seem to drain away some of Byron's nervousness. How could he fear anyone wearing a terrycloth bathrobe over blue and white snowman pajamas? He noticed that Catherine was wearing matching blue pajamas but hers had little white polar bears on it. He became aware that Jacob, Linda and Charles were dressed in similar winter themed PJs.

The next moment his attention was drawn to Jennifer as she came out of the kitchen area carrying a glass of milk. Even in a baggy sweat suit she looked beautiful to Byron.

Finally Brigit and Nancy came bounding down the stairs and it was time to get down to the serious business of opening the Christmas presents

One of the first presents that Byron opened was a gift that was labeled as being from Catherine and 'The Girls'. The package contained a pair of tiny remote control helicopters, one was black and the other was desert tan. Byron had seen other toys similar to these at the malls and been fascinated by them. On closer examination he discovered that these helicopters could shoot each other down with little infrared lasers. In short order Charles and Jacob discovered that they had received similar gifts from the girls. Soon all six of the little helicopters were lined up on the dining room serving board being charged up. Two of them were black, one was tan, one was camouflage green, one was navy blue, and one was slate gray.

It wasn't long before the floor was littered with wrapping paper and open boxes containing the spoils of Christmas.

After all the presents had been examined and commented on, everyone pitched in to clean up the parlor. Then it was lunch time and they made a meal out of the leftovers from last night.

The little helicopters had four selectable channels so there could be up to four of them in the air at the same time. It wasn't long before the parlor had become a battlefield as the tiny helicopters fought it out for aerial supremacy. The first few battles were free-for-alls with everyone taking a turn.

Eventually it came down to Byron and Vincent teamed up against Jacob and Charles. Byron was flying one of the blacks, Vincent the green, Jacob the gray and Charles the tan. Linda and Jennifer were seated in the sofa cheering on the combatants. Catherine and the twin girls had positioned themselves by the dining room safely out of the field of battle. Byron glanced over as Vincent groaned, his green helicopter spiraling down after being shot by Charles. Byron didn't see a lion-man next to him. What he saw was his team mate and any thought of his leonine appearance had disappeared in the heat of battle. He quickly turned his attention back to the battle field as his black chopper swooped in on Jacobs gray for the kill. Then the gray helicopter spiraled down, temporarily out of service.

Byron's black swung around in a wide arc and he was soon engaged in battle to the death with the tan for control of the parlor's airspace. The next instant Linda and Jennifer dived to the side with shrieks of laughter as the tan swooped down behind the sofa where Byron couldn't see it. Byron pulled up and away from the sofa and his black took up a position hovering near the Christmas tree where Charles couldn't see it. The battle had now become a game of hide and seek.

The opponents faced each other across the room daring the other to break cover first.

Suddenly the tan shot around the side of the sofa nearest the tree in an arc intended to come at Byron from the other side of the tree. Byron's black copter swung in a wide arc out of the path of the tan then curved back and dove under the tan copter. The next instant he reversed and caught the tan from behind. A quick burst of simulated gunfire and Charles's tan copter spiraled down to defeat.

Byron and Vincent cheered their victory and exchanged high fives. A second later it hit Byron that he had just slapped palms with Vincent's clawed hand without a second thought. He glanced around to see his own surprise reflected in several other faces in the room.

Jennifer jumped up and rushed up to Byron giving him a big hug as she whispered. "Byron, my conquering hero, I'm so proud."

Byron returned the hug with interest. As they let go he looked over at Vincent. "How about another round?"

Vincent smiled back at Byron. "I'm game if you are."

While their four helicopters were recharging, Linda and Jennifer engaged in battle with the other two fully charged helicopters. Linda was the victor. Then it was Charles versus Jacob in a quick battle.

The final aerial battle was the rematch of Vincent and Byron versus Charles and Jacob. This ended with Vincent and Byron again coming out on top.

The helicopters were put away and Catherine came out with wine, soda and snacks. Everyone found a seat for the classic Christmas movie tradition. They started with the George C Scott version of 'A Christmas Carol' then followed up with 'White Christmas'. When the title song began near the end of the movie several of them joined in. Jennifer and Catherine both had beautiful singing voices, which wasn't really surprising, but Byron was amazed to discovered that Vincent also had a pretty good singing voice as well.

Then it was dinner time and with the last of the leftovers. The evening finished up with 'Miracle on 34th Street'.

After the movie ended most of the household retired for the night leaving Byron and Jennifer cuddled in one of the two loveseats before the fire. The other loveseat was occupied by Jacob and Linda. The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire. Byron marveled at how easy things had become between himself and the leonine males of Jennifer's family. Today had apparently severed the connection in his mind between them and the lions in the zoo that still terrified him. Vincent still intimidated him just a bit but he was no longer afraid of him. He found that he respected Vincent the same way he respected The Senator.

Byron glanced over at the other love seat. Jacob and Linda had their heads together and were murmuring something unintelligible. Their love obvious in their posture, the look on their faces, and the way their hands were entwined in their laps. Byron grinned as he realized that he and Jennifer seemed to be mirroring them. He kissed Jennifer on the forehead. She opened her eyes and smiled up at his face.

He quietly spoke his heart to her. "I already knew that I've fallen in love with you . . ." He glanced over at Jacob and Linda. ". . . and now I realize that I seem to have also fallen for your family as well."

"No more fears?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Not of your family . . . Not since I began to see them as people. They may have a very unusual appearance but I see them as human beings now." He kissed her again.

At that moment Jacob stretched and released a wide yawn showing all four long sharp fangs. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night." He stood up and held out his clawed hand to Linda. "Would you care to join me?"

Linda responded with a huge grin. "Why I would love to join you." She took his hand and giggled as he pulled her to her feet.

Arm in arm they headed up the great spiral stairs. Byron watched them disappear up the stairs then turned to Jennifer. "Even with all those fangs and claws I still like your father and brothers." He shrugged. "I may never be able to get over my fear of lions but where your family is concerned, that has apparently become irrelevant."

The smile on Jennifer's face was like the sun coming out. Then they were kissing.

~ BnB ~

Byron woke up the next morning with a big smile on his face.

He lay there in bed thinking of last night. He and Jennifer had spent almost an hour making out in front of the fireplace after Jacob and Linda had gone to bed. When they had finally headed upstairs they had stopped before the door to his room and kissed again. That kiss had developed some major heat and they found themselves edging into the bedroom. It had taken some serious will power on both of their parts to break that kiss and reluctantly retire to their separate bedrooms.

Byron was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of Jennifer knocking on his door. His grin widened at the sound of her voice. "Better get a move on or you're going to miss breakfast. We have a full day planned for today. . . and dress warmly"

Byron climbed out of bed with a light heart wondering what the new day held in store for him. He quickly dressed, making sure to add an extra layer or two, and headed downstairs. When he reached the dining room everyone was already there and they had started setting out the food.

As Byron sat down he noticed that everyone else had also dressed warmly. The breakfast conversation was totally innocuous but there was a definite air of high anticipation around the table and Jennifer's eyes seemed to sparkle with suppressed excitement. Something was definitely up. His curiosity reared its head and he tried a few verbal probes but no one was giving anything away.

After breakfast everyone pitched in on the cleanup then Jennifer put her arm through his. "Are you ready to go?" She inquired, her eyes shining in excited mischief.

"Go where?" He asked.

"On an adventure, of course." She responded as they all headed toward the back of the house.

At the back behind the kitchen they all descended the stairs into the basement. The first thing he noticed besides the pool table was the huge wine rack that took up all of the far wall. The group approached the wine rack then Vincent pulled four of the wines halfway out and a section of the rack swung away from the wall revealing an open doorway. As they passed through the opening, Byron found himself on a long stairway heading down.

This was definitely getting interesting. Byron was reminded of his speculations about the possible existence of a community living in the city's utility tunnels. He turned to Jennifer, his left eyebrow raised in an inquiring look.

Jennifer merely smiled and continued to draw him down the stairs.

After about twenty feet the stairs took a left turn and continued down for another forty feet where they came to a blank wall. Vincent took a quick glance at some kind of small display then he pressed a switch and the blank wall swung away. They passed through the opening. When Byron looked back at the opening that they had passed through it looked like they had just stepped out of a large, floor to ceiling electrical junction box. Vincent closed the access panel and the illusion was complete.

Jennifer leaned in speaking quietly. "What we're going to show you is secret. The lives of many good people depend on the secrecy of the place we are going to visit. You can never talk about it to anyone that isn't already in the know." She cocked her head. "The fact that you have kept my family's secret proves that you can be trusted with this."

Byron looked at her puzzled. "But everyone knows about the New York utility tunnels."

She shook her head. "The utility tunnels are not the secret. They are merely an access point." She paused glancing at the others walking ahead of them. "We still have a bit of a walk before we reach our destination. Then you will get to see where Vincent grew up."

They had walked through what seemed like a couple of miles of maze-like tunnels, including two very cleverly hidden doors. Byron was completely lost and getting more intrigued as they moved steadily downward. He had also become aware of an occasional irregular clanking noise coming from some of the pipes that ran through some of the tunnels.

Byron was about to ask Jennifer about the noisy pipes when they came out into a large rectangular chamber. Joe, Sammy, and Elizabeth were there waiting for them. Charles and Elizabeth were immediately in each other's arms. Joe grinned at Byron. "Ready for your first trip down the rabbit hole?"

Byron chuckled. "Well . . ." He glanced at Vincent. "Charles does have a pretty big Cheshire grin. Should I expect to meet Alice or Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum next?"

Linda laughed. "Well we do have an Alice living below and Brigit and Nancy are twins . . ."

That brought a squawk of protest from both Nancy and Brigit and a smattering of laughter from the rest.

"I guess we should head on down." Remarked Catherine, moving toward the center of the chamber.

At that point Byron noticed the large hole in the middle of the room and the spiral stone steps that lined the wall of the shaft. As they started down the stairs Byron looked down the shaft in amazement. It appeared to be hundreds of feet deep and the bottom was lost in the mist far below.

Jennifer noticed the direction of his gaze and commented. "Legend has it that this shaft is miles deep . . . maybe even bottomless and that there is an old blind witch living at the bottom."

Byron grinned but at the moment he wasn't quite sure what to believe or what to expect. He just knew that he was heading into a very different world.

**_ Continued in Part 10_**

* * *

><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


	10. Chapter 10

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

As the group made its way down the shaft Byron became aware of a very light mist that permeated the cool air. It soon became apparent that the shaft was a lot deeper than he had originally though.

He commented to Jennifer. "This is the longest stairway I've ever seen. It must be a real pain climbing back up to that room at the top."

Jennifer shook her head. "There are dozens of easier ways back up beside these stairs. A lot of us take this way down because it's the fastest most direct route down to the community. Only the hardier of us take this way back to 'Above'."

Byron thought it was interesting the way she used the words 'Above' and 'Below' as thought they were proper names of specific places. He grinned at her as he commented. "And I suppose that your family, with their enhanced stamina, are among those hardier souls that you mentioned."

She smiled back. "Hey, if you got it, might as well use it."

Catherine looked over her shoulder. "I only go 'up' these stairs if I have Vincent or one of my sons with me."

Joe then added his two cents worth. "I've always thought of myself as being in pretty good shape but I would have a very difficult time making that climb back up these stairs." He laughed.

After descending what had to be hundreds of feet the party arrived at a landing with an opening into the side of the shaft. Byron noticed that the shaft with its spiral stairway continued several hundred feet further down before disappearing into the mists below. Byron estimated that they were already over a half mile below the surface yet nowhere near the bottom of the shaft.

"Well here we are." Commented Jennifer.

Byron noticed Sammy using some type of asthma inhaler as they all collected on the landing. Sammy noticed his look and explained. "I was born and raised down here but as a young teenager I developed severe respiratory problems because of something in the air down here and had to leave." She held up the inhaler. "This allows me to come below for short visits without getting sick." She placed the inhaler back in her pocket. "I really can't complain." She hugged Joe. "If I hadn't had to move 'Above' I never would have met Joe and that would have been a far worse tragedy than having to leave the tunnels."

Joe smiled warmly at Sammy and Byron nodded his understanding. Byron looked over at Jennifer and smiled. "I can't think of many things more tragic than missing out on funding your soulmate."

Jennifer responded with a smile and a hug.

The group passed through the opening into a rough hewn tunnel and Jennifer commented quietly to Byron. "We are now in the home tunnels of the community where Vincent grew up. The number one rule down here, besides keeping the secret of its existence, is to always give help whenever it is needed."

This new area was a maze of rough hewn tunnels with multiple small apartment-like chambers opening off from them. Some of the chamber openings had old colorful tapestries hanging across them. Most of the chambers however had the tapestries hooked off to the side so that he could see into them. Those chambers he could see into were comfortably furnished with old, battered but serviceable, third and fourth hand furniture. In some of them he saw people dressed in layers of patched clothing and, apparently, quietly going about the business of living their lives. Every time they encountered the denizens of these tunnels they received a quick friendly greeting. Everyone seemed to know Vincent and his sons and was unfazed by their appearance.

Byron was amazed by the place and the people. This place was so much more than he had imagined, even in his wildest flights of fantasy. This wasn't just a group of homeless people in dirty old utility tunnels this was a well organized and well maintained community

A group of a dozen children ranging in age from about seven to about twelve rushed past them shouting and laughing as they went. Vincent called out to them to be careful running in the tunnels. The children all showed respectful attention to Vincent even as they barely slowed down. Vincent smiled at the children as they disappeared around a corner then shook his head with an amused chuckle.

At Byron's silent inquiry Jennifer responded. "There are a lot of homeless and orphaned children living down here. We find them living on the street, or occasionally in the upper tunnels, and take them in. We give them a stable home. We even have a semi-formal school down here. Vincent teaches several classes for all of our children. Here those children have a safe loving secure environment where they can grow to be happy caring adults. Once they are old enough to be on their own our helpers help them start a new life in the world above if that is what they want."

Sammy spoke up. "My mother was one of those orphans living on the street when she was taken in by these people. After my mother passed away the community took care of me. They raised me the best they could while I was here and when I had to move 'Above' they helped me get established in my new life. I will always be grateful to these people."

They passed through an opening and Byron found himself standing on a metal balcony overlooking a large chamber filled with hundreds of books. Jennifer leaned into Byron as she spoke. "This is the community library and, in many ways, the heart of this community. Mom and Dad were married in this room. This is where Dad holds most of his classes and this is where Grandfather would read so many wonderful stories to the children." She swept the chamber with her gaze. "I spent many happy hours in this chamber as I was growing up."

The more Byron saw and heard about this subterranean community the more impressed he became.

At the near end of the balcony was on ornate metal spiral staircase. Byron found himself thinking that these people seemed to have a thing about spiral staircases.

As they descended to the floor of the library Byron glanced at some of the titles of some of the nearest books and recognized several classic titles. Near the bottom of the stairs he spotted a small well crafted bookcase that was filled with several copies of the works of Shakespeare and right next to it was a fair sized collection of books by Jules Verne and H G Wells. Next to those was a large collection of books by Agatha Christy. He was surprised at how many different titles there were by Christy. He realized that he could happily spend months just perusing this amazing collection of books.

The group continued through the chamber and out a lower doorway into another passage. Byron now became aware of the sound of many voices talking at once. Twenty feet further down the new tunnel they passed through another opening and Byron found himself in the largest chamber yet. There had to be well over a hundred people in this chamber that looked, for all the world, like an underground version of his old high school cafeteria.

As soon as they entered the chamber Byron could feel that everyone in the room was aware of them whether they were looking at them or not. He also noticed that he was getting several curious looks.

Most of the people in the dining chamber were dressed in that layered patchwork clothing that seemed to be the norm down here, but scattered among them were several people that were dressed more like him in nicer more contemporary fashions. Byron suspected that it was as much his mode of dress as being a stranger that drew attention to him.

Vincent led them to the back of the chamber where there was a well stocked buffet set up. Byron also noticed several more people entering the dining chamber behind them. The delicious aromas from the buffet table made his mouth water. Everyone served themselves. Then with full plates and bowls they all headed over to where he saw Dennis and Diana waving to them.

As they took their seats Byron noticed two teenagers seated across from Dennis and Diana. Dennis introduced them as their son and daughter, Aaron and Lynn.

Once they were all seated Jacob and Linda stood up. Jacob raised his arms and called for everyone's attention. The noise in the dining chamber quickly died down to barely perceptible whispers.

Then Jacob began to speak. "I wanted to share with all of you some great news." He looked over at Linda and they both smiled shyly at each other then he continued. "Linda and I are about to have a baby. In about seven months Vincent and Catherine will become Grandparents."

The deafening roar of approval and congratulations filled the chamber.

As Byron glanced around at the crowd his attention was drawn to a very old couple seated at the next table over. They both had tears flowing freely as the sported huge happy smiles. He pointed the couple out to Jennifer.

She leaned in close and responded to his silent inquiry. "The man is Jacob Wells. He was the one that raised Vincent. He is one of the founders as well as the patriarch of this community. Almost everyone down here calls him 'Father'; my brothers and sisters and I call him 'Grandfather'. The woman with him is Jennifer McCormick. She is Vincent's mother. She had thought Vincent had died at birth and had been living in Arizona until twenty years ago. Mom managed to track her down shortly after Dennis bought her back to New York. I was only a baby at the time but I hear that their reunion was . . . like one of those tear jerker movie endings."

Byron heard a slight hitch in her voice and looked over to see a single tear escape from her eye.

After a short pause Jennifer continued to speak. "I'm so glad they both are here for this." She paused again and swallowed as another tear escaped. "I only wish Mary had lived long enough to witness this moment."

Jacob and Linda sat down but the cheering continued for several minutes before the noise died down to just above the level of normal conversation.

Byron was a bit surprised at how good the food was. He had been to some very high class restaurants that came in a poor second to the fare he was currently consuming. He could easily see how those that lived down here could find the place most congenial.

Throughout the meal various individuals would come over to personally congratulate the expectant couple. Some of them also inquired about Byron. Jennifer was happy to introduce him as her 'boyfriend from Texas'. He was wearing one of his favorite western cut shirts so he did his best to live up to the cowboy image as he was introduced. Several times he caught the amused twinkle in Jennifer's eyes as she enjoyed his act. A couple of times he spotted Vincent trying to suppress a grin over his antics.

Byron learned that the day after Christmas banquet had become a bit of a tradition in this community. Apparently many of those referred to as helpers came below to exchange stories of how their Christmas with their families had gone. He also caught several references to a recent 'Winterfest' which he now understood to be some kind of important celebration to the people of this community. Finally he asked Jennifer about it.

Jennifer thought about it for a minute and everyone seemed to be interested to hear her answer. Her eyes took on a faraway look as she began to speak. "Winterfest began as a way to thank those from above that had helped the community to survive. The first one was on Vincent's first birthday. For the first couple of years it was held on his birthday and was more like an informal dinner for all the helpers. Then it was moved to the twenty-first of December and became more than just a simple dinner. That was when they started calling it Winterfest since it was on the first day of winter. Now it is a very special celebration for us. It's when we remember how the community began and celebrate how far we have come. It's when we remember all that has happened over the last year. It's when we renew old friendships and form new ones. It is a very special event for all of us that live or have lived down here or have just been involved with the community as helpers." Her eyes focused on Byron. "That is why I flew back home a few days early; so I could be here for Winterfest." She cocked her head giving him a shy smile. "Maybe next year you can attend Winterfest with me and see this community at its best."

Byron smiled back at her. "I think I would like that."

Vincent jumped in at this point. "In that case we will all look forward to seeing you at next year's Winterfest."

The other's at the table added their agreement to Jennifer's invitation.

Soon the lunch was over but everyone hung around for a while shooting the breeze for just a while longer. Finally as the crowd began to thin out and they left the dining chamber. Jennifer took Byron's hand and led him away from the group, calling over her shoulder. "I'm going to show Byron around."

Their next stop was one of the little apartment-like chambers. "This was originally Dad's chamber until he married Mom. Now they use it as a weekend getaway."

It was like nothing he had ever seen. The first thing he noticed was the half circle stained glass window that dominated the far side of the chamber. Then he started noticing the extremely eclectic collection of objects scattered around the chamber. There was everything from a little toy carrousel to a huge metal statue crowded into a barely large enough alcove. Finally his gaze fell on the painting of Vincent and Catherine that hung on the wall beside the entrance. It was a beautiful painting and there was something about the style that struck him as vaguely familiar.

He moved closer to the painting to get a better look at it and gasped in surprise. "This is a Kristopher Gentian!" He turned to Jennifer. "The Senator owns a Kristopher Gentian painting. It's the jewel of his art collection and worth a small fortune. His mother purchased it from the artist himself while visiting Central Park."

Jennifer came up beside Byron. "There's an interesting story behind that painting. The artist died months before Mom and Dad first met. Mom found a stash of his paintings locked away in a warehouse and that painting was discovered among them already wrapped up and with her name on the address tag."

Byron sighed and cocked his head. "The look in their faces . . . you can clearly see how much they love each other." He looked over at her. "And you say he died before they had even met?"

She shrugged. "The body was positively identified. Mom even double checked everything after that painting showed up. No one has ever been able to explain it."

Byron shook his head. "How curious."

Jennifer spent the rest of the day showing off her underground world to Byron. He barely had time to absorb a new wonder before she had dragged him off to see something even more magnificent. He saw the Whispering Gallery with its bridge over the bottomless pit and its mysterious voices from the surface. He saw the Mirror Pool with its unexplainable accurate reflection of the night sky. He marveled at the triple underground waterfalls and underground lake all illuminated by a vaulted ceiling that glowed in every color of the rainbow. He stared in astonishment into the massive windy gorge next to the great chamber that served as the Winterfest Hall.

Eventually they ended up back at the dining chamber at the tail end of dinner where they met back up with the rest of the family. Joe and Sammy had already gone back up to the surface by then. The rest of them decided to spend the night below.

As they were eating dinner Byron again became aware of the nearly omnipresent clanking sound. "I've been meaning to ask you something." He looked around a moment. "What is that clanking sound I've been hearing since we came down here?"

Jennifer chuckled. "Oh, that . . . It's just people talking. The old pipes that run all through this area are used as a kind of public message system. It's similar to Morse Code but more complex with hundreds of common phrases reduced to shortened code sequences . . . sort of like texting LOL for laugh out loud."

Byron looked at her. "And you know what they are saying?"

Jennifer nodded listening for a minute. "Right now they are talking about Jacob's announcement at lunch . . ." She paused again to listen then smiled and blushed. ". . . and they are speculating about you and our relationship."

**_ Continued in Part 11_**

* * *

><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


	11. Chapter 11

**The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything_  
><em>**The Five Of Hearts Series  
><em>By Thomas Mc<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

Byron lay in the underground guest chamber that had been assigned to him and stared up at the rock ceiling. His mind was awhirl with everything he had experienced today.

This underground world was full of unexpected and amazingly beautiful wonders. What he found just as amazing, was the things he had learned while talking to some of the people that lived down here. For many of them this place had been their salvation. For some it was a place of safety. For some it was a refuge from a harsh world. For some it was a place to rebuild broken spirits. But most importantly, for all of them these tunnels represented home and family.

He could easily see how this place could have taken in a potentially dangerous creature like Vincent and produced the warm gentle intelligent soul that he and his sons had become. He hoped that he could do even half as good a job when it came to raising his own children. Then his thoughts strayed to Jennifer. She would bring the tunnel attitudes to everything she did including raising her children . . . 'our children?' The thought brought him up short. Just now he hadn't even thought about what her children might look like only that he wanted them to be his.

He thought about the ring that currently resided in his nightstand drawer back home. All of the barriers that he had imagined between him and Jennifer had fallen during the last few days. The only hurtle left was a fairly normal fear of rejection but he thought that with a little time he could get past that without too much difficulty.

He drifted off to sleep imagining what their life might be like, including the possibility of a child with Vincent's unique physical characteristics.

~ BnB ~

Jennifer spent most of the next day showing off more of her underground world to Byron. That evening they went back to the surface for dinner and a movie (she insisted that it was her treat). Dinner was at a rather upscale mid-town restaurant that he had never heard of. After the movie they returned to the brownstone and spent a few hours nuzzling before the fireplace. As before, when it came time to go to bed, they both found it difficult to retire to their separate bedrooms.

The rest of the days of his weeklong visit seemed to drift by in a kind of romantic haze as they steadily got closer to each other. Each night Jennifer spent a little more time talking and cuddling in his room before, finally, reluctantly, retiring to her own bedroom.

~ BnB ~

Byron woke up on New Year's Eve morning to find that Jennifer was in his arms and asleep. She stirred and her arms tightened around him. He thought back to last night. They had been cuddled up in each other's arms on his bed just talking about nothing in particular, the romantic comedy playing on the room's small TV completely ignored. There had been no sex involved, just the simple enjoyment of each other's company. They must have both fallen asleep.

Suddenly he felt a moment of panic. What if Vincent or her brothers found out?

Jennifer stirred in his arms and her eyes opened. His previous thought was driven from his mind by the half sleepy look of contentment in her beautiful blue eyes.

The next instant they were startled by a knock on the door followed by Vincent's voice. "Better get up you two or you'll miss out on breakfast."

Jennifer closed her eyes momentarily, shaking her head with a groan, then opened them with a shrug and a short nervous giggle. "It's nearly impossible to keep anything secret in this house." She glanced over at the TV looking slightly puzzled. "Did you turn off the TV?"

Byron shook his head. "No . . . Did you close the door?"

Jennifer shook her head. "Not me." She looked down, blushing. "I also don't remember pulling the bedspread over us."

Byron also blushed. "Well at least we still have our clothes on." He threw off the cover. "I guess we may as well get up and face the music."

Jennifer giggled again. "Based on what I'm feeling from my brother, it's more like teasing that we're going to face."

~ o ~

Byron and Jennifer entered the dining room to a sea of grinning faces.

"Enjoy your night, Sis?" Jacob inquired with a distinctive twinkle in his eye. Linda merely emitted a barely suppressed giggle.

"She must have been half asleep and lost her way last night." Commented Charles with a grin breaking through an attempted mock frown.

"For a bad sense of direction it seems mighty convenient." Added Brigit.

"Now, now, children, I'm sure it was all very innocent." Insisted Catherine though there was a definite twinkle of humor in her eyes.

Vincent and Brigit both coughed but Byron would swear that he heard the words 'Yea, right.' Buried in those caughs.

"Pay no attention to those clowns." Remarked Linda her eyes also dancing with humor. "You remember how much teasing Jake and I had to put up with when we, ah, crossed that line." Again she broke into a fit of giggles.

"Hey, we did not cross any line." Responded Jennifer with just a bit of heat and a very red face.

"You slept together, didn't you." Remarked Charles.

"The operative term is **sleep**." Jennifer shot back.

By now both Byron and Jennifer were so red, they were practically glowing.

'Alright." Catherine called out. "You two grab some food and a seat." She finished with a mock glare behind a suppressed grin at the rest of the table. "And the rest of you behave."

There were a few more sly jabs but for the most part the breakfast conversation returned to more typical topics. Byron was just relieved that there were no signs of displeasure exhibited by any of Jennifer's family.

The rest of the morning and afternoon passed more or less quietly. Byron and Jennifer went out for lunch and a quiet walk in the park.

As evening approached, the entire family headed below ground. This time they didn't go down to the community. Instead they walked some distance in the utility tunnels then started back up, ending up in some type of office building basement. They took an elevator marked private; Catherine had to use a card key to call it. When the elevator door opened they faced a large plush office that was already occupied by several people that all looked over at the opening elevator doors. Some of them even smiled a greeting at the newly arrived group. None of them seemed the least surprised about the appearance of Vincent and his sons. On the wall to their right as they exited the elevator was the Burch Industries logo. It took up most of the wall.

Dennis and Diana were here along with Joe, Sammy and Elizabeth. As usual Charles wasted no time connecting with Elizabeth. Byron also spotted the fashion supermodel Victoria Burch and her rich industrialist husband Elliot Burch over talking to Joe and Sammy. He remembered the first time he met them a few years ago while attending the play Blyth Spirit on Broadway with The Senator and his wife. He also spotted Charlie the horse drawn carriage driver who introduced her husband, Bill, to him.

Then Catherine began introducing Byron around. He was introduced to Thomas Johnson a well respected newspaper reporter and his wife Misty Spirco Johnson. Next he was introduced to FBI Agent James McClendon a distinguished middle aged man and his wife Jenny Aronson McClendon a very old friend of Catherine. Next Byron was led to another pair of middle aged couples. One Couple was Chris and Sharon Gains who happened to be Linda's parents. The other couple was Phillip and Becky Douglass. The two men were partners in a very successful financial investment company that had several influential clients, including Catherine and Elliot. Catherine then led them over to a couple in their early thirties. Danny Tanner was an investment consultant and his wife Karen was an accountant. They both worked at Chris and Phillip's company. Finally he was introduced to a very pretty woman in an NYFD paramedic uniform named Beverly Whyte. She wasn't currently on duty but she was 'on-call' until morning.

After all the introductions Byron and Jennifer went over to the wall of glass on the far side of the room. Byron found himself looking down on a spectacular view of Times Square and the huge crowd of bundled up New Years celebrants in the streets below (The temperature had cooled down significantly over the last few hours). Looking up he clearly saw the lighted ball ready to drop at midnight.

Sitting on a tripod on the far left end of the glass wall was a camera pointed out the window. Mounted on the wall next to the camera was a large flat screen television displaying what the camera was seeing. On the wall to the right, under the Burch Industries logo was a long buffet filled with all sorts of snack foods and drinks. Cheerful music was playing over an unseen audio system, enhancing the party atmosphere within the elegantly appointed room.

Byron and Jennifer got drinks and snacks then circulated among the other guests. Byron learned that Chris, Phillip, Danny, Becky and Linda had all been caught under the rubble of the 9/11 attack together. Jacob had been trapped just yards away and had managed to dig his way to the others. Charlie had been trapped in a wrecked subway car near the destroyed towers. It was a crew of people from the underground community, led by Vincent and assisted by Jennifer, that had rescued all of them a few days later. He also learned that it was during that rescue that Jennifer had been nearly killed in a secondary cave-in.

Soon midnight was approaching and everyone gathered in front of the window to watch the countdown. The music that had been playing most of the evening had been replaced by some radio commentator that was broadcasting from somewhere in the crowd below.

Just before the countdown started Elliot called for everyone's attention. "I would like to propose a toast. . . To good friends, both old . . ." He nodded toward Vincent and Catherine. ". . . and new . . ." He nodded toward Byron. "and to a happy and fortuitous New Year for us all." His gaze took in everyone in the room.

Everyone in the room lifted their crystal wine goblets in answer to Elliot's toast. "To good friends and a Happy New Year." They all echoed then downed their drinks.

Then the countdown began. "**10 . . . 9 . . . 8 . . . 7 . . . 6 . . . 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR!**"

The cheering from below and the calls of "Happy New Year!" reverberated around the office accompanied by lots of hugs and back slaps and more than a few emotional kisses, especially among the couples.

The rest of the room faded from their consciousness as Byron and Jennifer embraced and kissed in the New Year. Finally they pulled back a bit and looked lovingly into each other's eyes. Slowly they again became aware of the rest of the room as the pulled reluctantly apart. Then holding each other's hands they looked down on the cheering crowd.

Someone in the room began singing 'Auld Lang Syne'. By the time they reached the chorus everyone in the room had joined in. They all raised their wine glasses aloft in salute as the chorus began and Byron felt goose bumps run up his spine from the emotional atmosphere in the room as he put his free arm around Jennifer's waist. The song continued through four more verses, two of which Byron had heard before. The last chorus died away and wine glasses were lowered as silence enveloped the room. For several seconds the only sound was from the crowd below as everyone stood lost in their own thoughts.

Byron was acutely aware of Jennifer's presence beside him. He looked over at Jennifer to find her shining eyes looking back at him. Byron hoped that, in the future, when he thought of 'days of long ago' they would be filled with memories of Jennifer and him together.

Then the moment passed and conversations began to pick up again. Byron and Jennifer kissed again. It was a light almost chaste kiss but it was backed with a bright promise for the future.

Not long after that the guests began to trickle out to make their way home for the night. Byron and Jennifer left a little after half past one.

That night there was no intention to separate. They climbed into his bed together; cuddled and kissed for a short while then contentedly fell asleep in each other's arms.

~ BnB ~

The next morning they awoke in the warmth of each other's embrace with smiles that threatened to split their faces. This time when they came down for breakfast they were greeted by warm smiles and a few inquiries if they had slept well last night. It was obvious that her family was aware of the new state of their relationship and had accepted it. Byron was grateful for their easy acceptance.

After breakfast Byron packed his suitcase then he and Jennifer bundled up for the brisk winter air and went out for a walk in Central Park. A light snow had fallen very early that morning leaving everything covered in a light dusting of sparkling white. They stopped for lunch in a small pizza place that faced the park. That afternoon they went out to a movie and an early dinner at a nice Italian place nearby.

After dinner Jennifer dropped Byron off at the airport. He had to fly out that night because he had to go in to work the next morning. He was supposed to begin work on The Senator's new pet project. They parted with a kiss, a hug, and a promise that she would see him again in Austin in two days.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

**AULD LANG SYNE**

Should old acquaintance be forgot,  
>And never brought to mind?<br>Should old acquaintance be forgot,  
>And days of long ago?<p>

_Chorus_:  
>For auld lang syne my dear,<br>For auld lang syne.  
>We'll take a cup o' kindness yet,<br>For auld lang syne.

:

And surely you'll buy your pint cup,  
>And surely I'll buy mine.<br>And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,  
>For Days of long ago.<p>

_Chorus_

:

We two have run about the slopes,  
>And picked the daisies fine;<br>But we've wandered many a weary road,  
>Since days of long ago.<p>

_Chorus_

:

We two have paddled in the stream,  
>From morning sun 'til dine;<br>But seas between us broad have roared,  
>Since days of long ago.<p>

_Chorus_

:

And there's a hand my trusty friend!  
>And give me a hand o' thine!<br>And we'll take a right good-will drought,  
>For Days of long ago.<p>

_Chorus_

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

**_ Continued in Part 12_**

* * *

><p><em><em>'<strong>Beauty and the Beast<strong>' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.__


End file.
